Time will tell
by tears of the soul
Summary: AU.New summary.Five years have passed, the mature Shizuru and Natsuki haves changed and they face their own demons.Only time will tell if their hearts have changed Ch 15 is up! The story is getting more interesting
1. Chapter 1:Mai memories

Time will tell.

A/N: My new fanfic. I am writing the story based on my memory of the book that I read a while ago. It's a good story and I hope I got it down right. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Summary: AU. Natsuki works at the Yuuichi family mansion. Shizuru meets Natsuki there and they become friends. An incident occurs that causes Natsuki to get fired and hated by the Yuuichi family. Natsuki goes away and is reunited with Shizuru 5 years later. But time has changed them both. Shiznat, MaiTate,

Ch1. Introduction: Mai's memories 

"I can still remember the moment I laid eyes on her like it was yesterday."

"My mother had been dating with a rich businessman and for her it was love on first sight. He was a widower from Kyoto with a daughter one year older than me. I was only 10 then but after seeing my mother so happy every time she came home from a date, I thought he was the one for her."

"My beloved mother. She had become a widow 5 years ago when our father died in a car accident and she had worked hard to support me and Takumi, my brother two years younger than me. She deserved her own happiness, so I didn't protest much when she invited us to join her date with Mr. Fujino and her daughter Shizuru."

"From what I heard from mother, Mr. Fujino was the kindest, nicest man in the world. I always wondered if she was telling the truth or was simply exaggerating. When you re in love everything looks nice and perfect. But reality can be cruel. Maybe he was a mean man or something. Of course, I never told my mother what I thought. She wouldn't have believed me anyway. A woman in love wouldn't believe such words from anyone especially her own children."

"I always wondered if we were a burden to her. Of course we were, having to take care of two small children and doing house chores and working all at the same time would tire anyone. But mother never complained. Whenever she came home from work, she always greeted us with a warm smile as if she was not tired at all. It wasn't until I was a bit older before I realized how much she sacrificed for us, so I tried to help her out with the small things, washing the dishes, clothes, cleaning the house, whatever I could. As time passed by, house chores were my duty. I learned to cook. It turns out I'm a better cook than mom now. But sometimes I ask her to cook, I miss her cooking."

"Anyway, back to the point. Mr. Fujino was a successful businessman who had a large company. His wife had died 3 years ago, also in a car accident. His daughter was also in the car when it happened but she simply suffered minor injuries. He simply adores his daughter. Mother said he talks so much about her every time they meet that she feels that she can't wait to meet the girl in person. I can't say I felt the same way. I was really nervous to meet the Fujinos. Would he be able to accept me and Takumi? Would he be a good father? Could I be friends with his daughter? Is she a spoilt girl? Is she a nice girl? So many questions flooded my mind. But for my mother's sake, I chose to endure it all. I'll make them like me. I'll try to be a good daughter. I'll make Mr. Fujino's daughter like me. I told Takumi to be on his best behavior. He was a good little brother anyway. Everyone wanted to be his friend. He has a small body for his size, everyone wanted to protect him. When I say everyone, I mean girls AND boys. He has that kind of appearance."

"The day of the meeting came. I can still remember how nervous I was. I could see Takumi was too. We asked each other how we looked so many times. We were in our best clothes, I was in a nice, clean pink dress that was only worn on special occasions and Takumi wore a new blue t-shirt and jeans. Mother didn't look so nervous but she kept sneaking a look towards us that I knew she was a bit worried that Mr. Fujino might not like us."

"We arrived at the restaurant and mother went to the counter. After introducing herself to the receptionist, we were led to a VIP section. The decorations of this part of the restaurant was very beautiful, I had never seen anything as beautiful as this. The tables, chairs, everything looked beautiful. We reached a table and there was a handsome man and a young girl a bit older than me already there."

"The man did not look old at all. He gave a sense of authority and power, a dignified person. He had brown eyes and brunette hair. He wore a black suit that seemed tailor made for him. But what made my eyes widen the most was the beauty of the young girl beside him. She had dark red, sort of crimson colored eyes that were looking at me with interest. She was a brunette. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain that it looked like she was a doll. She wore an expensive looking purple kimono that suited her well. Her beauty took my breath away. In front of her, I felt I was insignificant and very small."

"She must have noticed my discomfort because she immediately stood up and came up to me. She turned to her father and asked him if we were the people they were waiting for.

He nodded and she took my hands in her. She introduced herself to us."

"_Nice to meet you. I am Fujino Shizuru."_

"I must have stuttered when I introduced myself because she told me to calm down".

"_Please relax. There is no rush. Please take your time."_

"Truthfully, I was amazed at how nice and gentle her voice was with her Kyoto accent. Thinking back to it now, I think I didn't make a good first impression. I wonder what she thought about me. I hope I didn't look too bad in front of her. Takumi introduced himself in the same manner but her smile made me feel calm. I thought she was a nice person. I scolded myself for thinking that she might be a mean person. But there was a part of me inside that said not to let my guard down yet. First impression can be misleading. Her father then stood up and introduced himself."

"_Nice to meet you. My name is Fujino Kyou. You can call me Uncle Kyou if you want. Please have a seat."_

"We sat down and the waiter came and took our orders. While waiting for the food to arrive, Uncle Kyou asked us some questions about what we liked and other things He seemed to have real interest in us that I found myself opening up to him. Takumi spoke more casually to him; it seemed Uncle Kyou had won his trust. I snuck a few looks at Shizuru and every time she was staring at me or one us with interest and a smile on her face. She asked a few questions to me and I grew to like her. I did the same and she told some things about herself to me. It turns out she went to the same school as I did but it was weird that we had never crossed paths before."

"Then our food arrived and it was divine. I had never tasted such delicious food before. I savored each bite and decided to remember the ingredients. Maybe I could cook up something like this myself. We even had dessert; a unique type of ice-cream that I had never tasted before. I must have quite an expression that showed how much I loved the ice-cream because uncle Kyou ordered another scoop of ice-cream for all of us."

"Finally, mother decided it was time to go home. Uncle Kyou paid for the bill and we all left the restaurant. Mother had a quick conversation with Uncle Kyou that left me and Takumi alone with Shizuru. She stood beside me and we talked a bit. I was happy when she said this.

"_I hope all goes well with father and your mother. I really like your mother, you and Takumi. We can all be a big happy family."_

"I felt the same way towards uncle Kyou and Shizuru."

"We left and went home. I told mother what Shizuru said and mother was really happy. She said that she liked Shizuru too. A few days later, mother came up to me ecstatic and told us that Uncle Kyou had proposed to her. I asked her how she reacted. She said she accepted her proposal. I was so happy that I immediately hugged her and I almost knocked her down. We were going to be a big family. I was going to have a father and a sister. I could not think of anything better."

"The marriage was grand. It was done in a hotel and was perfect. We invited all the relatives we could even if it was on short notice. Many managed to come from both sides. I and Shizuru wore beautiful white dresses. Of course, Shizuru looked more beautiful than me. We held hands during the ceremony. She was as happy as I was, perhaps even more. She told me she always wanted a sister and brother. Takumi wore a white tuxedo, specially tailored for his small body. He looked handsome. We teased him and he admitted that he felt a bit embarrassed. Uncle Kyou and mother looked really happy. They were kissing each other and holding hands all day."

'That night we stayed in the hotel, uncle Kyou and mother in their wedding suite while the rest of us stayed in another. We barely slept that night, all three of us asking about each other and talking. I learned more about Shizuru. She is like a real traditional Japanese lady. She could do flower arrangement, tea ceremonies, sew, cook. She is even a kendo fencer and knows aikido (Japanese martial arts) but she admits it's only because her father asks her to learn them. She reveals she loves to read books and is hoping to be a writer. I tell her I love to cook and aspire to become a great chef. Shizuru tells me she would like to taste my cooking as do I to her cooking. Takumi joins in by telling us that he wishes to be a pastry chef. I tease him by telling Shizuru that he can bake delicious cakes and cookies. Shizuru says she can't wait to taste a cake baked by him."

"A few days later, we move into Uncle Kyou's house. To say house is an understatement, it's actually a mansion. It's huge. It is a Japanese style one story mansion with many rooms. Both Takumi and I have our own rooms. There are rooms for every function, studying, meeting, Uncle Kyou's work room, a large room for baths together, a large garage that can fit 5 cars, dining room, game room. It had a large kitchen that made me squeal with excitement of all the delicious things that I would make in it. The garden was beautiful with a large pond in the middle. There was still a lot of land and trees surrounding the mansion. I felt as if I was dreaming being in the presence of so much luxury. I had never imagined uncle Kyou was this rich."

"It took a while getting used to being part of a new life and Uncle Kyou and Shizuru were very kind and gentle with us. I can see now that they are really nice people who love us. I love them too. "

"Having the name Fujino was a bit hard to adapt to. People treated me differently, some with respect and some with contempt. Some people approached me when they found out I was now a Fujino but I stayed close with my old friends, people who had been with me since I first moved to Fuuka a long time ago. My friends are happy for my happiness and I thank them for that."

"I met some of Shizuru's friends and they have accepted me. But I feel Shizuru is different from them. I can see she doesn't say much but simple plays along with them. I can see she has always been lonely. Now I understand why she was happy when we became part of her family. Another thing I have noticed is that Shizuru acts differently when she is with her friends and when we are at home. It seems that she opens up at home, perhaps because we are family. Who knows? But I hope I can be there for Shizuru. I owe that much for this family that accepted ours with open arms."

To be continued.

A/N: How is it? Please review and give me your comments. If your waiting for the appearance of Natsuki, I think she might come up in the next chapter or in the third. But I must warn you, Natsuki is going to be a bit cold. She doesn't know Shizuru yet. Btw, Mai's mother's name is Kyoko. I haven't had the chance for her to use her name as she is being called mother by Mai in this chapter. Takumi and Mai call Shizuru's dad 'Uncle Kyou' ,while Shizuru calls Mai's mom 'Auntie Kyoko'.


	2. Chapter 2:The encounter

Time will tell

A/N: Thank you to all the people who reviewed for this story. I'm going to take it slowly now that I have 3 stories to juggle, lol. You will notice I'm using many characters from various animes in this story. In this chapter, you will see a few shoujo-ai characters, just to fit the story Btw, in this story Natsuki and Shizuru are the same age. Shizuru is in her first year of college.

Chapter 2: The encounter

Fujino Shizuru was sitting in a café enjoying green tea with her friends Satou Sei, Yuuichi Nao, Himemiya Chikane, Hanazono Shizuma and her sister Mai. Her friends were all from rich and influential families that Mai often felt out of place whenever they were together but they were all nice people once she got to know them.

They had just finished shopping together and were discussing on what to do next.

"I think you should come over to my house. Father has just bought Tate a new black Ferrari to celebrate his acceptance into college, you must see it. It's beautiful," said Nao. Tate was Nao's one year older brother. Her father was a rich lawyer and a good friend to Shizuru's father.

"A black Ferrari you say? I would like to see that," said Sei.

"Then it's settled then. We are going to see Tate then, I mean see his car then," said Mai. Shizuru chuckled as they all headed to the exit. She walked close to Mai.

"I know you really want to see Tate, Mai. There is no need to pretend," she whispered to Mai. Mai blushed and tried to deny it.

"N..no way Shizuru. Quit joking about these things."

Shizuru simply chuckled as they headed towards the parking area. Shizuru entered the driver's seat while Mai and Chikane sat behind. Nao and Shizuma went to Sei's car. Ever since Sei got her driver's license, she insisted to drive but Shizuru and Chikane refused to ride whenever Sei drove because Sei often drove wildly. Mai always preferred to follow her sister's lead.

After a while, they reached the Yuuichi residence. It was a big mansion but not as big as the Fujino's mansion. They all headed to the garage. As soon as the garage door opened they all gathered around the black Ferrari. Nao went to find her brother for the keys to the car. They were all alarmed when a husky and masculine female voice told them to stay away from the car.

"Can't you see I'm trying to service the car here?" said a blue haired girl who suddenly appeared from under the car. Her hair was tied back, the face was smeared with grease and she wore a grey worn-out work suit. Dark green eyes glinted with annoyance.

"Sorry, we didn't notice you were down there. Who are you?" asked Shizuru.

"I don't have to answer to you. Just keep out of my way, will ya."

"Out of your way? Don't tell me you're a mechanic."

"You betcha. Surprised?"

"Yes, do you even know what you're doing?"

"Now you're telling me to how to do my job? How about you try going down there and changing the oil yourself. Bet you don't know, being a stuck-up rich girl," sneered the blue haired girl.

"Maybe I will," said Shizuru while pulling her sleeves up. Mai immediately pulled her back.

"Shizuru, you're wearing a skirt!"

"That won't stop me. Who does she think she is? What a rude person!"

At that moment, Tate and Nao came. Sensing them, the blue haired girl backed down and left the garage.

"Did I miss something?" asked Nao seeing the annoyed face on Shizuru's face.

Chikane explained what happened and asked who the blue-haired girl was.

"Oh, that's Natsuki Kuga, our mechanic," said Tate. "She came around here a few weeks ago after her dad died. Her dad is a good friend of our dad, so he gave her a job. She's really good with cars, better than I am. It's amazing for a girl to be so good in repairing engines and stuff."

"I think you offended her Shizuru," said Shizuma.

"But she was rude to me," protested Shizuru.

"Well, she was actually just doing her job protecting the car, although she was a bit rude," said Sei.

Shizuru shook her head.

"Alright, I'll apologize. Where is she Nao?"

"She has a room outside. Maybe she's there.

Shizuru went and looked for the mentioned room. She reached a long corridor and a single room stood at the end. The door was open and Shizuru peeked in and saw the room was empty. The room was quite small with a table and two chairs in the middle. There was a stove and fridge in one corner. In the back was a small bedroom.

"Persistant aren't you," said a husky voice.

Surprised, Shizuru turned around and saw the girl behind her. Her face was wet but clean now. The girl went into the room and gestured her to follow. The girl went to the fridge and opened it. As the fridge was open, Shizuru could see what was in it. The fridge was empty except for a few bottles of plain water and a few pieces of bread. A lone bottle of mayonnaise was in the middle of the fridge.

"As you can see, I have nothing much to offer you. Would you decline if I offered you a glass of water?"

"N..No."

The blue-haired girl took out a bottle of water and looked for a glass.

"Do you cook your own meals?" asked a curious Shizuru.

"Yeah, I can cook well enough without burning it too badly. But I'm too poor to buy much, so I barely scrape through."

"But you do get wages from Mr. Yuuichi right? Where'd the money go?"

"I owe some people money."

"How can you live eating on that alone?'

"I manage. My, you're quite a busybody aren't you?" said the girl while placing a glass of water in front of Shizuru who was sitting at the table. "So how can I help you? You didn't come here without a reason, did you?"

"I came here to apologize for my words and actions before. I didn't mean to offend you."

"That's all?" said the blue haired girl while smiling softly. "You really are a strange one. Getting all worked up at something like that. I guess I made a wrong first impression from you then. I apologize for calling you a stuck up rich girl."

"I forgive you. You know, that was first time anyone called me that. Everyone else was always ready to please me or in other words kiss my when they first met me."

"Just because you're a rich man's daughter? Figures. I won't you know. You have to work to get my respect just as I will work to earn everything I need; I will not have it served on a silver platter.

"You're an interesting person. I'm Shizuru. Fujino Shizuru." said Shizuru as she held out her hand.

The blue-haired girl thought for a while before taking Shizuru's hand.

"Natsuki. Kuga Natsuki."

They shook hands for a while before Shizuru excused herself. As she left, a blush was visible. She joined her friends at the garage, looking at the car but her mind was thinking about a certain blue-haired girl.

As they walked out of the garage, they headed inside for a drink.

"I think Kuga-san is very masculine," said Nao out of the blue. Everyone stared at her before Sei agreed. Then they started to discuss about what they thought about the blue-haired girl.

"I think she is mysterious." This was Sei.

"I think she's cold." Said Chikane.

"Well she didn't give much of a first impression." Explained Mai.

Shizuru was quiet all through the whole discussion. The discussion sort of went out of hand as they thought Natsuki may like girls as she liked working on cars.

"Hey, let's make a bet. Everyone has to chip in some money. Whoever manages to kiss Natsuki gets all the money and is allowed to gloat about it," said Shizuma.

Immediately, everyone except Shizuru and Mai agreed and took out some money.

"Well then Shizuru, since you're not playing, can you be the keeper of the money?" asked Nao.

"S..Sure."

"That settles it. Let the challenge begin!"

To be continued


	3. Challenge Begins

Time Will Tell

A/N: I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I got ill, still am. But I feel bad for not updating, so here it is.

A/N: I don't own any anime or anime characters used in this story.

Chapter 3: The challenge begins

As it was already dark, the girls excused themselves and went home. After sending Chikane home, Shizuru and Mai went home silently. Shizuru braved herself and decided to break the silence by asking Mai some questions.

"So, did you have fun today?"

Mai was surprised but answered anyway. Shizuru was never one for idle talk.

"I guess I did. You're friends can be quite fun to be around."

"So, what did you think of Natsuki Kuga?"

"What I think about her? Well, she has such a strong personality; she knows how to take care and defend herself. I really thought you two would start a fight. I never saw you that agitated before. You're always so calm and reserved. What made you snap?"

Shizuru chuckled softly.

"I have no idea, she just made me defensive and I simply acted by instinct to fight back"

"Did you apologize nicely to her or did you start another fight when you went to see her? I noticed you were silent after seeing her."

"You noticed? You really are my sister. I did apologize nicely to her if you need to know. We didn't fight at all; she even offered me a glass of water."

"Only a glass pf water!?! The nerve of the girl. She could at least offer a cup of tea or something better."

"It's okay. She's facing hard times; she has barely enough to eat herself. I peeked into her fridge, there wasn't much to eat. How she survives is a wonder."

"I see. Say Shizuru, why didn't you join in the challenge? With your looks, no one can refuse you."

Shizuru could feel her cheeks redden but hoped Mai didn't notice it.

"Oh, I felt it would too much of a hassle with everyone trying to steal a kiss from Natsuki," lied Shizuru. "I pity her for what might happen in the future, the girls will work hard to kiss her."

The truth was she had begun to have feelings for the blue-haired girl even if it was a little crush. The blue-haired gave an impression of wildness and masculinity that could entice anyone; let alone Shizuru. Shizuru felt if she participated in the challenge it would make her deeper in love with Natsuki and the kiss would mean more than simply just a kiss.

"What about you Mai? Why didn't you join in?"

This time it was Mai's turn to blush. Shizuru could see she struck a weak point as Mai begun playing with her fingers.

"Well, I already have my eyes on somebody. I felt it would be wrong to fool around kissing people."

"Let me guess. Is it Tate?"

Mai blushed a darker shade of red. Steam was coming out of her ears.

"Does it show?" She took out a mirror out of her handbag and looked at herself.

"No. I'm your sister, I can tell these things. You don't have to worry about it. Sometimes we do things in the spur of the moment. I think none of the girls really take the challenge seriously because the already have someone important in their hearts but dare not to approach."

"Really?"

"Yes, the truth is Chikane, Shizuma, and Sei all has a secret crush on someone since high school but they don't show it. I 'm not sure about Nao though."

"Wait, if it's secret how do you know?"

"Now that's my little secret. Ara, we have reached home already."

Shizuru parked the car and they went in.

xxxxxXXOXXxxxxx

Little did Shizuru know, her friends were always serious in a challenge when there was money involved (it's amazing, they don't need the cash anyway. They're all filthy rich. Maybe they're pride is at stake?) The girls would find excuses to go to the Yuuichi mansion. The first to make a move was Nao since well, she lived there. Nao wore sexy and tempting (to normal people) tight clothes and attempted to seduce the mechanic. She strayed near the girl while she was working with hopes that the blue-haired girl would be attracted. Not only did it fail but the blue haired girl scolded her for wearing indecent clothes.

"What are you wearing in my garage? Are you here to work on your car or having a picnic here? Get lost!"(She said more but it had to be censored. Natsuki was really annoyed)

Further investigation yielded the results. The blue-haired did not like people with red-hair like Nao because she was once bitten by a red cat in a fight (I fail to see the connection but this simply meant Nao was out of the challenge. Natsuki wouldn't even think of kissing Nao. Btw, why was Natsuki in a fight with a cat anyway?). Everyone took notice of this and took down notes for future reference.

Shizuma decided to play the romantic and rich lover tactic. Shizuma sent bundles of expensive presents to Natsuki with gifts such as watches, clothes, jewelry etc. The blue-haired girl returned the gifts in a fit of rage.

"What do you think you're doing giving out these things to me? Do you think you're rich you can flaunt all your rich stuff? Is this charity? I don't need it!" (Again, the rest had to be censored for bad language)

Seeing that the first two attempts had failed miserably, the other contestants decided to plan thoroughly before making a move. So for the moment, the challenge was on hold.

On the other hand, Shizuru always had a chance for a quick drink with Natsuki. Shizuru would now and then buy a meal and bring it to give to Natsuki. The first time, it was some simple sushi that she managed to trick Natsuki to eat by telling her it was leftovers (even though it wasn't) from her house. Natsuki didn't mind taking them if it was leftovers because she would be helping to avoid the food going to waste (that's what she thought). Shizuru had learned earlier than the other girls that Natsuki had a lot of pride and would rather die of hunger before asking anyone for food. So Natsuki was well-fed for a while thanks to Shizuru, although she sometimes became suspicious.

Shizuru learned a bit about Natsuki. It turns out that Natsuki is an engineering student in college. Her college fees were paid by her aunt, who lived far away, but Natsuki vowed to pay back the fees; that's why she's often penniless. She was only able to work at the Yuuichi mansion because it was her college holidays.

Slowly but surely, Natsuki was opening up to Shizuru. They would often have small talk, Shizuru was the one doing most of the talking; Natsuki would listen silently and only talk once in a while.

The girls were a bit suspicious that Shizuru would tell Natsuki about the challenge but Shizuru assured them she would do no such thing. She feared Natsuki's response if she did.

To be continued.


	4. Moonlit Meeting

Time will tell

A/N: Sorry for taking so long. I've been hooked on video games; I just completed Tale of Abyss; an excellent game with good music and storyline.

Chapter 4: Moonlit meeting

Natsuki was in her room which was littered with automobile magazines and some trash. In one corner there was a table with a few text books on engineering and a book was sprawled open on it. The green eyed girl was relaxing on her bed with a large envelope in front of her. She turned the envelope over and over before deciding what to do with it. The envelope was from her Aunt Saeko who lived on a large estate. Her aunt was a stingy old woman who lived alone with only one maid who had enough patience to stay with the fussy old woman. Her aunt was a widow who never remarried after the death of her husband. She was used to a luxurious life style when her husband was alive and expected the same service with the maid. The poor girl suffered the first few days but unexpectedly stayed even when the other staff quit.

Inside the envelope was some document that had to be signed by Natsuki regarding the matter of changing ownership on a piece of land that used to be where Natsuki's house was. After the death of her father, Natsuki decided that she wanted to sell the house. Natsuki wanted to start a new life and this was the way to begin. She requested the help of her aunt to find a buyer and finally here is a buyer. Natsuki scoffed at the idea of her aunt simply mailing the documents. _She could have came and sent it to me. She really hasn't changed. Still stingy as usual. _Inside there was also a note.

I have found a buyer for your land. I have enclosed all the documents, please ask Mr. Yuuichi for some assistance as he is a lawyer. Everything should be in order. Mail it back to me when you're done.

_**Saeko Kuga**_

Just then, Natsuki heard someone knock the door of her room. She stood up and went to open the door. She knew who it was; it was Mr. Yuuichi. He would often go to see Natsuki after work simply to talk to her as he considers Natsuki to be like his own daughter. Natsuki's father and he were really close friends and it was an honor for him to offer Natsuki a job when she asked even if only as a mechanic.

"How are you today Natsuki? Did you have any problem with my Mercedes?"

"No Kyo-san. She was good as usual. You took good care of her. I just made a few adjustments. The one that's giving me problems is your daughter's car. She's using it so recklessly, I feel sorry for the car."

"Yes, Nao can be like that. She doesn't take good care of her stuff at all; even after all that begging for the car. " he sighed.

Natsuki poured a glass of bourbon that she kept especially for Kyo-san whenever he came by and served it to him.

'Thank you." Kyo-san took it and sipped it slowly, savoring the taste. They started to talk on cars; Kyo-san being very knowledgeable on it gave advice on how to manage the car efficiently. Natsuki nodded as she listened, taking mental notes. Since Kyo-san was her father's best friend and meeting him so many times, Natsuki had grown to respect and look up to the man.

"Kyo-san, I want to ask for your help."

"What is it?"

"I need you to look at some documents. I'm going to sell the old house and I wanted to ask for your advice."

"I see. Okay, let's look at those documents."

xxxxxxXXXXxxxxxx

Shizuru and Natsuki were sitting on the floor outside the garage at Nao's house as they were enjoying the beauty of a full moon, simply staring at the moon and not saying a word. The Yuuichi's had invited the Fujino's for dinner and the rest of the family were inside relaxing after dinner. Shizuru had snuck out and went to see Natsuki.

"Is it okay for you to be here right now?" asked Natsuki to Shizuru. "You are the guest of the family, ya know."

"Don't worry. I'm just taking a breath of fresh air, they won't mind."

"If you say so."

"The moon is so beautiful tonight, so bright that it glows."

Natsuki looked at Shizuru a while before resuming to stargaze at the sky.

"Back at where I grew up, the view was more spectacular. You could see all the stars sparkling as well." Natsuki spoke with such gentleness that surprised Shizuru and she looked at Natsuki. There was a gentle look on Natsuki's face that she had never seen before and it made her heart beat a little faster. It made Shizuru think that behind that guarded and rough demeanor of Natsuki's there really was a soft and gentle person hiding that Natsuki rarely let out in front of people..

"Ne, Natsuki, my birthday is next week. I'm having a party and I really want you to come."

Hearing this made Natsuki surprised.

"Really? You really want me to come? I don't know…" Natsuki thought hard of an excuse to avoid attending the party. "I don't mix in with your friends…"

"Just come for me. Please?' Shizuru edged so close to Natsuki that their faces were only inches apart. Natsuki noticed how close they were and turned her face to the side.

"Okay, I'll go. I could do with the free food. You better make sure the food's great."

Shizuru laughed softly, relieved that she managed to get confirmation that Natsuki would be coming to her party.

"Sure, I'll personally make sure that the food is delicious."

In the distance, Nao was standing on the balcony of her room watching the interaction between Natsuki and Shizuru with gritted teeth and her hands in such a tight fist that her knuckles had turned white.

"Shizuru, I thought you had no interest in her. How could you…"

She turned away and walked inside.

"I'll make sure that if I can't get her, neither will you."

To be continued.

A/N: Well what is going to happen next? I'm gonna tell you in advance that the next chapters will be a while; I'm going back to Uni. Sorry in advance.

Happy Birthday Shizuru, even though it's a bit late


	5. That night

Time will tell

Time will tell

Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the really late update. I tend to get sidetracked. XP

Shizuru felt like she was in seventh heaven. Her Birthday was around the corner and Natsuki had promised that she would come. She found herself busy making preparations. The food had to be perfect, the décor had to be rearranged, so many things to do, such a short time. For Shizuru's father, it was a good chance to show off his daughter and get any suitors that may promise a prosperous partnership.

_Natsuki_.

Just thinking about the raven haired beauty made her heart skip. Natsuki was the only thing on her mind lately. In her wake, sleep, in her dreams. It was only Natsuki. The brunette finally realized that she was madly in love with the girl. She tried to deny it but her feelings for Natsuki were so strong it hurt to think of life without Natsuki.. But she knew what would be at stake if she confessed to the raven-haired girl. Her family might reject her, friends would abandon her. She shuddered to think how the society would perceive her. Yes, Shizuru admitted she was a coward. But what made Shizuru tremble the most is Natsuki's reaction. What if Natsuki rejected her? What if Natsuki shunned her away? Shizuru could not bear to imagine that outcome. For now, having Natsuki by her side would be enough.

The day of the party.

Shizuru was dressed in an exotic purple coloured kimono that was specially made for the party. She spent her time in front of her dressing table preparing herself aided by a few maids. Usually Shizuru wasn't very particular about her looks but the thought of Natsuki being in the crowd made her giddy and she wanted to look her best for Natsuki. Her behavior was noticed by Mai who was also getting ready in Shizuru's room. Mai was wearing a light pink kimono and was fussing over her hair.

'Someone's in a good mood', teased Mai.

'Who?' Shizuru calmly replied trying to suppress her happiness.

'You. Don't think I didn't notice. Your always looking out to the distance and have that dreamy look. Something good going to happen?'

'Who knows.'

'Your hiding something. Don't hide it. I can tell.' Mai stood behind Shizuru and gave her a light hug.

' I have no idea what your talking about.' Shizuru tried to free herself from Mai's hug but decided otherwise to avoid suspicion.

'Suit yourself. But remember, I'll keep my eyes on you so that later, I can tease you about it.'

As soon as Mai left the room, Shizuru let out a sigh.

'She knows me too well. I can't wait to see you Natsuki.

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The dining hall was packed with people as relatives, friends and business associates had arrived to celebrate Shizuru's birthday as well as make a good impression. The Fujino's were a well known respectable family whose influence spread world-wide. The name itself demanded respect and many wanted to be apart of it. There were people dancing to a live orchestra and there was plenty of delicious food.

Many of Shizuru's friends had arrived with their family as well as their partners or date for the night. Chikane looked stunning in her black dress that looked as dark as the sky on a full moon. Her long hair flowed flawlessly as she stepped into the hall accompanied by a girl with long golden hair whose beauty was breathtaking. Her beauty was incomparable, rivaled only by few, such as Shizuru herself and Chikane.. The pair suited each other so well as if they had known each other all their life. Truth be told, Chikane had only met the golden goddess a few days ago when was out in the city.

Shizuma strode up to her friend and gave a friendly hug.

'I see you have gotten yourself a good catch. Who is this beautiful lady, Chikane?' Shizuma looked at the golden haired beauty up and down with a smirk on her face.

'This is my friend, Kurusugawa Himeko. Himeko, this is Shizuma a friend of mine.'

While Chikane was introducing Himeko, she could not help but hold Himeko's hand as tight as she could. Shizuma was well known as a flirtatious lady and Chikane would not allow Shizuma take something that she held so dear. Even though Chikane had just met Himeko, she felt as though Himeko was the one for her. It was strange how Chikane felt so at ease with Himeko, as if she had known her before. For Himeko's sake, Chikane would be possessive.

Either Shizuma noticed or took a hint, she sighed and patted Chikane on the back.

'Relax, I'm not gonna take her from you. I guess she's yours, eh.You suit each other.'

Chikane blushed as Shizuma said this. _Shizuma read my mind. I wonder if Himek realizes how I feel for her._ Chikane dared herself to look at Himeko's face and was delighted to see the other girl also blushing before looking at the floor.

_Ohhh, she's too cute!!_

Himeko whispered something to Chikane that made Chikane blush and they both went off together.

Shizuma simply chuckled as she watched her friend walk away. _Good for you._

'Shizuma onee-sama, what are you doing smiling like that?'

Hearing the voice of her own angel, Shizuma immediately turned to face the owner of the voice. In front of her was a young lady whose looks had captured the Shizuma's heart since the first time they met.

'Nagisa.'

'Yes, onee-sama?'

'I thought I told you not to call me onee-sama any more. It hurts my heart to hear you call me that, don't you.lov…

Nagisa immediately silenced Shizuma by placing a finger to her lips.

'Don't say that!!' A blush was evident on Nagisa's face. 'Of course I love you…'She whispered. 'I'm just not used to calling you ..Shizuma ..yet..'

_Oh, she looks so adorable. How I love to see her face when she's blushing._

'Then maybe we need to practice, come Nagisa'

'You say that, but I know your thinking of something else.'

'Am I? We will see.' A wide smile spread across Shizuma's face.

Nagisa could feel Shizuma was planning something 'ominous' but still followed Shizuma as she led the way.

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Satou Sei had arrived earlier than her two friends and was enjoying the buffet when she saw that Nao had arrived with her family as well as Natsuki. Natsuki was wearing a simple men's shirt with a stylish denim jacket .Natsuki looked cool in a masculine way. Heads turned as Natsuki strode past the onlookers and started on the buffet.

'Hungry,aren't ya?'

'Yeah, I deliberately skipped lunch so that I could enjoy the food. Superb, as usual.'

'Eat up! There's plenty.'

Natsuki took out a small jar of mayonnaise and emptied its contents onto her plate.

'Ah, Shizuru told me about your preferences.' Giggled Sei.

'Can't help it, life would be meaningless without it.'

'You dropped something.'

Natsuki looked down and saw a small blue box tied with a ribbon on the floor. She immediately picked it up and sighed with relief.

'Thanks. It would have been meaningless to come here and lose it just before giving it to Shizuru.'

'Her gift?'

'Yeah. Nothing much though.'

'Hey, it's the thought that counts.' _Anything from you would be priceless to Shizuru._

'You say something?'

'No,No.' _She's surprisingly sharp._ 'Ah, finally she's down, the lady of the night.'

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To be continued.


	6. That night Part 2

Time will tell

Time will tell.Ch 6

Shizuru walked down the stairs gracefully to the main dining hall accompanied by Mai. She slowly scanned the audience to find her heart's desire. She noticed there were more people present tonight than at her last birthday party. She barely knew a quarter of them. Most of them were probably her father's acquaintances and suitors. She saw Chikane in a corner smiling warmly to a golden haired girl, a rare sight, due to the fact Chikane wasn't a very social person. _That must be someone important to her. Friend or..perhaps..lover?_ She presumed it was the former. _Chikane isn't like me, in love with another woman. _How wrong she was.

She saw Shizuma talking to her kouhai, Nagisa. She noticed Shizuma whispering something to Nagisa making the younger girl blush furiously. Sometimes Shizuru envied the two's relationship, a close friendship even though one was older than the other. All Shizuru had was a fan club that could do no more that stutter her name (with honorifics, of course) before passing out or squealing in euphoria. Of course, Shizuru did not know Shizuma and Nagisa had in that week gone farther than the simple onee-sama-kouhai relationship

Nao was near the veranda looking dejected and staring blankly at her drink which seemed to a glass of red wine. Shizuru felt puzzled why Nao would be drinking wine because she knew Nao was a bad drinker. She made up her mind to talk to Nao later after she found Natsuki.

By now, Shizuru was restless because she had yet to find Natsuki. She absent-mindedly went through a few of her father's introductions to his business partners and their sons as well some suitors who ogled at her beauty. She waved as she saw Sei who came up to her with a glass of wine in her hand.

'You look exhausted. Come have a drink.' Sei held out the glass which Shizuru took gratefully. Shizuru took a sip before she realized her stomach was growling. Sei laughed as Shizuru tried to gain her composure after being embarrassed by her hunger. In her excitement preparing for the night, she had neglected to eat.

'Go have something to eat, you'll find what your looking for at the buffet table.'

Shizuru nodded as she pondered what Sei meant. _Of course food would be at the buffet table, what else_ _would be at the buffet table? _As Shizuru walked to the buffet table, her eyes widened as she saw what or should we say who else was at the buffet table.

_Natsuki!_

As if Natsuki heard her name being called, Natsuki looked up from her food and smiled as she saw Shizuru.

'Hey, cool party you have here. Food's delicious.'

Shizuru could barely suppress her happiness. 'As I promised.'

'I saw you coming down. You look stunningly beautiful in that kimono.'

Shizuru really felt she could die happy hearing Natsuki saying she looked beautiful. Inside her mind, she was jumping with joy. 'Thank you, you look good too.'

'I would have come to see you earlier but you seemed busy, your dad was introducing people to you and I didn't want to disturb you.'

'It's okay. It's just the usual; father was just showing me off. He does it every year.'

'Who wouldn't?' Natsuki said in voice barely audible to anyone else except Shizuru.

Shizuru blushed unexpectedly when she heard what was said. Natsuki was looking down at her feet, a blush clearly evident on her face.

'Shizuru, so here you are. I was wondering where you ran off to,' said Shizuru's father. 'Are you okay? Your face is rather red.'

'I'm fine. Is there something you need?'

'I want to introduce you to a friend of mine's son.'

Shizuru looked at Natsuki with a pained expression as if she didn't want t leave the girl's side.

'Go, I don't mind. Just meet me out at the veranda later, okay?'

'Okay, wait for me. I won't be long.'

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Anger and jealousy was the only thing on Nao's mind as she watched the interaction between Shizuru and Natsuki.

_How could you Shizuru. You said you wouldn't join in the game yet, you stole Natsuki's heart. I was the one who first laid eyes on her. I fell in love with her first. How dare you steal her from me in front of my eyes? How could you…I thought you were my friend. _

To drown her sorrow and anger, Nao drank so many glasses of red wine. As soon as she drank her glass empty, she ordered another one and drank it empty and repeated this again and again. Nao knew Natsuki was excited about the party ever since she was invited. Her face glowed with a radiance that was never there before.

_What does Shizuru have that I don't Natsuki? I tried so hard to win your heart, so long I tried. Shizuru waltzes by and your smitten with her. Why her? Not me?_

_No longer Natsuki. After tonight, we will be together._

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Shizuru rushes towards the veranda. She smiles as she see's the back of her dearly beloved. Natsuki's back looks so lonely, as if it was burdened with so many responsibility and painful memories.

'Sorry, did you wait long?'

'Not really, I had a good time here tonight.' Natsuki turned and smiled.

'That's good to hear.'

'I called you here because I wanted to give you your birthday present.'

'You didn't have to get me anything ya know. You being here would be enough for me. I'm really happy you came.'

'I owe so much to you. I would like to thank you for such a good time here tonight as well as to celebrate your coming of age. The present is necessary. Here, this is for you.'

Natsuki held out her hand and in it is the small blue box. Shizuru slowly took it and held it tightly in her hands.

'Can I open it?'

'Sure. Don't worry, it wont explode or anything. Just a normal gift'

Shizuru gasped as she opened the box. Inside was a pendant. It was curled like the outer layer of a snail's shell but at the narrow end was a small ruby.

'It's beautiful.'

'I wanted to get something fancier but I'm on a tight budget. Sorry.'

'No, it's perfect. Anything from Natsuki would suit me well. I will treasure this. Thank you Natsuki.'

'Your welcome.'

'You deserve a gift from me.'

'Hm?'

'Shizuru held the pendant tightly in her hands and gave a quick kiss on Natsuki's cheek. Natsuki touched the spot where Shizuru kissed and blushed slightly. Shizuru simply smiled and gazed into Natsuki's eyes. Time seemed to have stopped for the both of them. They edged closer to each other, Shizuru's hands was in Natsuki's. Their faces were only a few inches apart.

_I can't stop myself. I can't stop this urge. I want to kiss her._ (A/N: Guess who says this)

CRASH

The sound of glass breaking shook them out of the enchantment. Shizuru turned away, embarrassed of what she was about to do. She turned to the source of the sound. She saw Nao clutching in her hands shards of a broken glass.

'Nao! Your hand is bleeding'

'My heart is bleeding too. How could you, Shizuru?'

'Nao?'

Nao's eyes shone with hatred and anger towards Shizuru.

Natsuki rushed forward with a handkerchief and tried to remove the glass shards from Nao's hands.

'Your drunk Nao.'

'Natsuki. She's drunk?'

'Yes, it seems so. I can smell the wine. You've had too much Nao. I'm taking you home.'

'Natsuki, you don't hate me do you?' Asked Nao.

'No, why would I?'

'That's a relief,' said Nao before passing out.

'I'm sorry Shizuru; I have to take Nao home now. Please tell Uncle Kyo that we will be leaving early.'

'Okay, I'll tell him that. Take care of Nao, Natsuki.'

'I will. See you later Shizuru.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shizuru accompanied them to the front door and watched as Nao's car which was driven by Natsuki disappeared into the dark of the night. She stayed there for a while before turning to enter the mansion.

Suddenly Shizuru heard a loud bang and she turned to see what it was. She saw in the distance the bright red color of flames.

To be continued.


	7. That night Part 3

Time Will tell-Ch 7

Time Will tell-Ch 7

A/N: I wanted to skip this part (what happened after the accident and go 5 years later) but I didn't want you to get confused with a sudden plot leap.

The next few days were like a bad dream to Shizuru.

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After the loud crash and the blinding light that she saw, her mind was in disarray.

_Could that have been Natsuki and Nao? Are they all right?_

Countless questions and thoughts passed through her mind, each worse than the previous. She ran as fast as she could along the road to the crash scene. She wasn't the only one, her friends and guests alike hurried behind her. The scene that awaited them was horrible. Bright red flames engulfed the vehicle, and black smoke bellowed upward. The vehicle had been reduced to a pile of burning metal. The smell of metal, oil and rubber burning was so strong that everyone nearby had to cover their mouths.

Shizuru was hysterical; she could not locate Natsuki or Nao. She was devastated and was shaking uncontrollably.

'Natsuki!', ' Nao!'

She shouted over and over and searching the road and the area.

'I've found them!'

She heard a man shout out and Shizuru felt relieved.

_They are alright_, she thought.

She ran to the man and was startled to see a bloody Natsuki and Nao. It was at this point that Shizuru fainted.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Shizuru came to, she found herself in her bedroom. She immediately recalled what had happened and staggered out of her bed. Mai came by and steadied Shizuru.

'Shizuru, what are you doing out of bed? You're in shock and you're in no condition to be out of bed.'

'Natsuki! Nao! How are they?' Shizuru grasped Mai by her shoulders, demanding an explaination.

'They're in the hospital. They haven't woken up yet.'

'Let's go then. I want to see them.'

Shizuru staggered passed Mai who nodded and helped to steady Shizuru and brought her to the car.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time they had reached the hospital, Shizuru had gained some of her health and hurried to the room that held Natsuki and Nao. Shizuru braced herself to see the worst. On one bed lay Natsuki. She was covered in bandages and there were 1st degree burns all over her body, arms and face. Nao was also covered with bandages and burns but not as bad as Natsuki. It pained Shizuru to see her friends in such a terrible condition.

'How long have they been like this?'

'It's been 2 days since you passed out. The doctor said it would take a long time for them to recover; it was a miracle that they didn't die in that crash. The doctor said accidents like that often end.. fatally.'

Tate entered the room and Mai went to his side and squeezed his hand to comfort him. There were black bags under his eyes due to lack of sleep and it seemed he lost some weight. Shizuru understood, he was worried about his sister's safety. Tate gestured them to exit the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'How could such a thing happen?' Asked Shizuru, as they sat at the hospital cafeteria.

'The police are still investigating, but I hear that there was something wrong with the car,' answered Tate. 'As if something like that could happen. Natsuki takes good care of the car. I say it's sabotage.'

Shizuru simply nodded. The whole incident had really shook her. She wished it was simply a bad dream and any second she would wake up and everything would be fine. But the truth was; it isn't a dream. Two of her friends were in an accident and are now in the ER.

Tate's father suddenly rushed towards them.

'Nao's woke up!'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They all gathered around Nao's bed. Nao was staring blankly at them all.

'Honey, how are you?' Kyo said softly to his daughter.

Nao did not react to his voice but she turned to look at Natsuki.

'How…is ….she?' She asked weakly.

'She hasn't woken up; I wonder if she's in a coma.'

'I see.'

'What happened Nao? How did the accident happen?'

'I..I can't remember. Leave me alone please. I'm tired.'

'You're right. We'll let you sleep. We'll come back later.' Kyo kissed his daughter bandaged forehead and left the room with the rest of them.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Outside the room, Kyo hit the wall with anger.

'I'm gonna fire Natsuki. I'll throw her out! I'll sue her! How could she make my daughter be in that condition?'

'Father! Natsuki still hasn't woken up! It's an accident!' How can you blame her?'

"I knew this would happen someday. Natsuki came here for revenge. She came here to make me suffer!'

'Father, what are you talking about?'

'I caused Natsuki's mother to die in a car accident a few years ago. It was an accident, I lost control of the car and we were both injured but Natsuki's mom died. Her dad said he forgave me, but it seemed he doesn't. He must have told Natsuki to get revenge before he died. She must have been waiting all this time, for her chance…'

' Dad, listen to yourself talk. It's ridiculous.'

'Can't you see? That's why Nao is lying there. She tried to kill Nao in that accident. Just like how I…' He couldn't finish his sentence. 'I'll never forgive her!'

They all looked at Mr.Kyo with horror at his revelation. Tate tried to calm his father down.

Shizuru was speechless. She could not see Natsuki as a killer.

_Natsuki could never do such a thing._

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In the middle of night, in the room that held Nao and Natsuki, someone stirred. With all of her strength, and holding back the pain, the figure pushed herself off the bed. She fell off the bed with a loud thud. The sound was heard by the other person in the room. The figure painstakingly crawled towards the door and as she reached the door, the figure whispered in an angry voice.

'I'll never forgive you, any of you.'

The other person tried to beg for forgiveness but the figure had already left the room.

'Forgive me Natsuki.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, the room was in an uproar. Natsuki had disappeared.

'How could you lose her!? Bellowed an angry Kyo. 'She was still asleep when you left her!'

'It seems she escaped during the night.'

'You better catch her and send her to jail. She tried to kill my daughter!!'

To be continued.


	8. Five Years later

Time will tell. Ch 8.

A/N: Forgive me if my characters are a bit OOC. This is after all an AU. By the way, I just realized that the name of Shizuru's and Nao's dad are really identical. This was an error that I didn't notice at all, so for future reference remember this:

Shizuru's dad: Fujino Kyou

Nao/Tate's dad: Yuuichi Kyo.

**Chapter 8: Five years later**.

Fujino Shizuru exited her Black Mercedes and walked gracefully up the stairs towards the entrance of the Fujino Corp. building. The security guard on duty hurriedly rushed to her and took her briefcase. She smiled graciously at him and he swooned as a goddess had graced him. He beckoned her to follow as he led the way to the private lift that was reserved only for the highest officers of the company. Shizuru entered the lift and the guard gave back her briefcase. She thanked the man for his service and the man bowed as the lift door closed.

Being alone always made Shizuru feel nostalgic. Memories of a younger Shizuru flooded her mind.

_An image of a carefree and naïve Shizuru waiting in the lift to meet her father and ask him to join her for lunch. Her father would always be delighted to see her and would greet her with a fierce bear hug before asking her about her day. Her father was always there for her, dismissing his work and always put her as his first priority. They would have lunch at expensive, luxurious restaurants, always the best for Shizuru. Her father's face would always be smiling, no matter how tired or busy he was. _

The sound of the lift bell signaling the lift had reached its destination awoke Shizuru from her daydream. She prepared herself to greet her employees, putting on the mask that people always worshipped and adored. She was no longer the young girl that visited her father, she was now her father; she was the one managing the Fujino Corp now. Ever since he died 4 years ago.

_Shizuru was in college studying Literature when it happened. That bright night was illuminated by a crescent moon in the sky. Shizuru felt something was going to happen, but she couldn't put her finger on what. She was at her room studying when the telephone rang. She answered it, the voice of her mother sad with grief. Her father had died of a heart attack at the age of 50. Shizuru immediately understood what it meant. She was going to inherit the real burden of being a Fujino. She did not realize tears streaked down her cheeks, her voice cold as she answered to her mother. She felt numb. Her father was gone. _

Ms Yukino, Shizuru's secretary greeted her as she entered her office. Shizuru gave her a smile before receiving her cup of steaming green tea.

'Good morning Shizuru-sama.'

'Good morning Yukino. What's my schedule today?'

'At 10 am you have a live interview on the Morning Business Review show. They're expecting you at 9.45 am to discuss the launch of the new magazine that Fujino Corp is launching. '

'Ah, I am prepared for that. I have kept close surveillance on the launch of _The Modern Japanese._ I know this will be a success. Then?'

'You will be having lunch with your family at 1 pm, followed by a meeting with a potential investor interested in placing ads in _The Modern Japanese _at 3.30 pm. That will be all for today'

'Thank you Yukino. Please remind me at 9.15 to leave for the interview, while waiting i plan to finish looking at some documents.'

'I understand. Please call me if you need anything.'

Yukino left the room as Shizuru started looking through the pile of documents on the table. Sitting down at her desk, Yukino could not help but think how lucky she was to be one of the closest people to Fujino Shizuru, one of the lading entrepreneurs in Japan.

_Shizuru-sama is really amazing, in such a short period of time, under her directions Fujino Corp has expanded into many new branches such as textiles, land property, the hotel industry even the education industry. The brand name Fujino Corp has become a symbol of the Japanese lifestyle with high quality products and top class service. The popularity of Fujino Corp is unrivaled by any other company, well maybe only by Kuga Corp and Kanzaki Corp. Only recently has Shizuru-sama set her eyes on the publication industry and started on the publication of a magazine that reflects the Japanese society lifestyle._

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As Shizuru entered the stage, the studio was filled with the sound of hysterical screams and whistling. The past few years, Shizuru had gained much popularity being the CEO of a leading company at such a young age.

'Welcome to the show Shizuru-sama.'

'Thank you for inviting me on the show, it is such an honor.'

'Today we are going to discuss the launch of Fujino Corp's first magazine. Can you tell us more about it?'

'Certainly. As Japan is such a beautiful country, rich with tradition and flavor, we decided to publish a magazine that discusses how the traditional Japan merges with the modern world. At Fujino Corp, tradition is our identity; we plan to share the beauty of the traditional world with the modern times. This project was personally under my direction, so I hope it will be a success.'

'Hearing your speech, I can't wait for the release of the magazine. I hear the photographs were taken by your sister, famous photographer and chef, Mai?'

'Yes, as one of the world's top photographer, we chose her. There was no favoritism; it was her talent that caused her to be main photographer. Look forward to pictures full of life and emotion and be stunned by its beauty.

'Let's talk about you, Shizuru-sama. As the CEO of Fujino Corp. you have been a role model to women all over Japan and the world. You talk about tradition, but you yourself have made history by leading such a big company in a world dominated by men. Will you be settling down for marriage? You shocked the world last year when you became fiancée to Kanzaki Reito, heir to the Kanzaki Corp.'

'Yes, surely one day I would certainly be settling down for marriage. Both Kanzaki-san and I are busy and we seldom see each other. But we care for each other and we stay in touch. Even right now, Kanzaki-san is in France due to a business meeting.

'Thank you for your time Shizuru-sama. We hope to see you again.'

'It has been a pleasure.'

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'Shizuru, you looked so beautiful on TV. We haven't seen you for a while, and there you go getting prettier again.'

Mai greeted her sister with a fierce bear hug. Shizuru reacted by returning the hug softly. She turned to Mai's mother, Kyoko and gave her a hug as well as kisses on both cheeks.

'It's been a while since I've seen you. Ever since, you got betrothed to Kanzaki, you moved out into your own apartment. I know you want your own personal time as well chances to allow Kanzaki into the house but we miss you.' Said Kyoko with a fake pout on her face.

Shizuru blushed at the thought of allowing Kanzaki into her apartment.

'Please, we haven't even gone that far yet.'

'Oh?' Kyoko had a mischievous look on her face. 'You haven't gone as far as third base yet? But you're his fiancé. Even Mai has gotten married with Tate, what are you waiting for?'

_I haven't allowed anyone to come close to me, ever since SHE left…but I can't tell them that._

_In order to preserve my reputation, I agreed to Kanzaki's proposal._

'I'm saving myself. It'll feel more special that way.' Shizuru said this softly with a sad look in her eyes.

Kyoko laughed because she thought her daughter was shy but Mai saw through the whole façade.

_Shizuru still hasn't forgotten about her first love._

'Before I forget, Takumi says he's sorry he can't join us. He has to work; being a pastry chef is so tiring. Tate is also working. Men, go figure. Work is always first priority'

'Its fine, I'll visit the house whenever I'm free.'

'You really won't move back in, will you?' Asked Mai sadly.

'The house is full of memories of father, it makes me sad there. I left last year after enduring so long'

'You always were his favorite.'

'No, he loved us all the same. It's just so hard, first mom, then dad. Too many memories there.'

'Why are we talking about sad things, let's talk about something else.' Mai tried to change the mood. 'Shizuru, I can't wait to show you the new pictures I took for the magazine, you'll love it.'

'I'm looking forward to it.'

'That reminds me, the end of this week, that auction is going to be held right? The charity auction, that Fuuka Hospital holds every year. Your going to be one of the models for the display right?'

'Yes, I'm going to be the model to display a very pricey necklace-the bewitching amethyst. I've already reminded Kanzaki to be there. You guys better show up too.'

'We wouldn't miss it for the world, it's not always we get to see you in a gown.'

'I'll take pictures of you.'

'Thank you. Hey, where is that waiter, he hasn't even given us the menu yet.'

'I guess they are stunned at the sight of 3 beautiful goddesses.'

The waiter rushed to their side and gave them the menus. After a quick look, they ordered.

TO BE CONTINUED.

A/N: Natsuki is in the next chapter.


	9. The Challenge

Time will tell-Ch 9

Time will tell-Ch 9

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. I know you can't wait for the reunion, well, you'll just have to wait coz there's still so much in store. The reunion will be so much fun to write, ohh, the drama, romance. Please look forward to it.

P/S: the business concepts I'm using, I don't know if it's legal or right, I'm an engineering student for god sakes. So just play along will ya.

**Chapter 9-The Challenge**

Natsuki Kuga was sitting in front of her laptop in her private jet travelling to the private estate that Aunt Saeko resided at. Wearing a stylish blue suit, business vest and a black tie (A/N; imagine King from King of Fighters), she was the image of style and masculinity. With part of the raven coloured hair covering the left part of her face, her mature femininity and beauty was visible. The woman was having an internet meeting conference with one of her business partners. Her black gloved hands holding a wine glass as they conversed.

'I think we should lower the bid on Honda Electronics', said the man on the screen.

'No, we stick with the agreed amount.'

'That company is hardly worth the money we are paying for. We are paying triple of its value. Is this another of your crazy schemes?'

'If we go on like this, there won't be any other companies rational enough to even consider buying Honda electronics. They will pull out, and then we lower our bid to ¾ of its value. They'll have no other option but to agree to our demand. They're desperate, on the verge of bankruptcy anyway.'

'Did anyone ever tell you how cruel you are?'

'You tell me all the time.'

'Yes and I'm right. You however are one of the greatest minds of the century and that's one of the best plans that I've heard of. I'll just play along with you.'

'Thank you, Mr. Ensui.'

'How many times do I have told you call me Mikami? We've already known each other for so long.'

'That would be disrespectful. You are after all one of my father's friends.'

'You're father would be proud of you. After all, in just 4 and a half years, you've made Kuga Corp strive from a small company to a multimillion conglomerate.'

'I couldn't have done it without you and Aunt Saeko.'

'There you go again, for someone so cruel, you can be so modest. Give my regards to Saeko will you?'

'It would be my pleasure.'

'Goodbye Natsuki.'

'Goodbye.'

Natsuki stared at the screen as Mr Ensui ended the conference. The smile that she wore disappeared as soon as the conference ended. It had all been an act to gain the man's favour.

_I have worked so hard to get where I am now, taking over other companies, and expanding them. Using such underhanded ways, I would do more to get what I want. I always get what I want. What I want is power, no longer will I cower and be pushed around._

She unbuttoned her gloves and under it were pale hands with traces of burn scars all over. She touched the scars softly, feeling the texture of her skin.

_This pain, I will never forget it. I will never forget my weakness and betrayal. I will never allow this to happen again._

The sound of the jet's mobile phone woke her from her inner monologue. She picked up the phone and answered, knowing who it was.

'Yes Nina.'

'Morning Natsuki-sama. I assume the conference with Mr Ensui has ended?'

'On schedule. Is there something you need? I recall telling you to hold all my calls and meetings. Aunt Saeko urged me to meet her, it sounded important.'

'I'm calling to confirm the auction object that we are going to send to the Fuuka Hospital Charity Auction this weekend. I've sent it to your email, would you check it?

'Fine, I'll check it now.' Natsuki opened her email address and selected the mentioned email. As she opened the mail, the picture of a statue was visible.

The statue was of a nearly naked goddess playing with a large wolf.

'What a weird statue.'

'No matter what it looks like, it's worth quarter a million.'

'Whatever. Remind me again why again why we are sending this for the auction.'

'It is in order to improve your reputation. Your business tactics have made you known as a ruthless and cruel business woman. We need to convince the society that you aren't ruthless and cruel, even though you really are.'

'I should fire you saying that.'

'Go on then.'

'….'

'Anyway, you will be attending the auction as a guest of honour for the contribution. Try to play nice and impress the crowd. In return, the public will know how NICE you are and our stocks and reputation will go up.'

'You really are sarcastic; I wonder why you are still working as my personal assistant.'

'I wonder why myself. Wait, I know why, no one else stayed to work as your personal assistant after you showed your real self. Impressive aren't I?'

'Continue gloating and you won't have any work.'

'I'm so scared.'

'Fine, send the ugly statue for the auction. I'll be there.'

'Do remember to bring a date, male preferably.'

'Why should I? You know that I prefer females.'

'Yes, you don't have to remind me. You flirted with me when we first met. I keep telling you, I won't sleep with you, I already have a girlfriend.'

'As well as a crush on a man.'

'Hey, that was a long time ago. God, I regret telling you that. Anyway, the public doesn't know that you prefer females.'

'I can't promise for a date, but I'll be there. Anything else?'

'No, have fun at Aunt Saeko's. Bring back a souvenir will you?'

'Why should I?'

"Coz I'm such a good worker.'

Natsuki ended the call with an annoyed look on her face.

_God, she's so cheeky. But she's really reliable. She's been my personal assistant since I opened Kuga Corp._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The jet landed and Natsuki boarded the black car that had been sent by Aunt Saeko for her. She was greeted by Aunt Saeko's maid, Himeno Fumi. Fumi had served Aunt Saeko for so long and was a sisterly figure to Natsuki. Over the past years, Natsuki had managed to persuade Aunt Saeko to hire other maids and helpers to relief Fumi of her huge work burden. Aunt Saeko had reluctantly agreed on the condition that Natsuki paid their wages. Fumi was ever thankful to Natsuki for that and treated even her more kindly after that.

'Natsuki welcome home! It's been a while since I've seen you.'

'Thank you Fumi-san. You look well, is everything fine? Where is Aunt Saeko?'

'Everything is under control. Saeko-sama is having her afternoon nap. Would you like to retire to your room? You should be tired after your trip.'

'Yes, I am rather tired.'

Fumi led Natsuki to her room.

'I kept everything the way it was.'

'Thank you Fumi-san.'

'You are welcome. I will take my leave now. Please have a good rest. I will prepare your favourite dish for dinner.'

As Fumi left, Natsuki looked around the room. Everything was just as she left it since her last visit. Natsuki sat on the bed, remembering how soft the bed was. After a while, she laid on the bed, reminiscing about the past.

_After leaving the hospital, Natsuki used all her money to travel back to Aunt Saeko's estate. The estate was very far and it took a day's journey by car. It was very hard for Natsuki to persuade the taxi driver to take such a heavily bandaged and bleeding girl to the estate. The taxi driver was very kind to Natsuki as he took care of her throughout the journey. When Natsuki arrived, a shocked Fumi quickly called the doctor and was so thankful to the taxi driver that she tried to pay the man double the fee. The man declined and said he felt that Natsuki was like his own daughter. It touched him to see Natsuki's determination to get home._

_The next few months were very painful for Natsuki as the burn scars healed, she stayed in bed sleeping most of the time .She went through rehab and therapy. Natsuki endured through all of it with gritted teeth and all the while her mind was full of thoughts on how to change her fate. Aunt Saeko was really kind and understanding of Natsuki's condition. She supported Natsuki with encouraging words and took care of her with Fumi's help._

_After another few months, Natsuki's condition was very promising. Most of her burn scars had healed and she could now properly walk and function. She went up to Aunt Saeko and made a request. She requested that Aunt Saeko borrowed her some money to set up Kuga Corp. Aunt Saeko who knew of Natsuki's capabilities and goals obliged in the request and borrowed the money to Natsuki. Natsuki went to meet Mr. Ensui who was her father's old business partner and asked him to be her business partner. He agreed and history was made. In no time Kuga Corp grew and at the helm was Natsuki. _

When Natsuki awoke, it was nightfall. She took a shower before sitting at the dinner table where dinner was being served.

'Welcome home Natsuki.'

'I'm home Aunt Saeko. Are you well? You urged me home so desperately that I thought something bad happened.'

'I'm well enough for an old woman, but who knows for how long?'

'Aunt Saeko?'

'Natsuki, I'll get straight to the point. I want you to get married.'

Natsuki was so shocked that she put down her fork and knife and stared at Aunt Saeko wordlessly.

'I know this may come so suddenly, but I don't want you to end up like me; all alone with no one but maids by my side. How I miss my dearly beloved. I do not regret my decision to stay this way but I want you to be loved. Love and be loved Natsuki.'

Natsuki was silent but in her mind, she was fuming.

_How can I love anyone after all that has happened? In my heart, there is only hatred and anger. This body is so scared, it is hideous. All who see it shy away as soon as they can._

'In return for your marriage-regardless of your preference; I will give you my stock share in the company. I will give you a time limit. If you fail to get married in time, I will sell my stock publicly. You wouldn't want that.

'Why are you doing this?' Natsuki whispered her face emotionless.

'Natsuki, I love you. I love you as if you are my own daughter. I know you have gone through so much. I am an old woman now; I have had my share of happiness. Now I pray for yours. Please be happy my child. There is more to life than the on you have now. I want you to experience life.'

The rest of dinner was silent. As soon as dinner was over, Natsuki retired to her room.

Fumi came up to check up on Natsuki. Natsuki stared out of the window, a forlorn look on her face.

'She only wishes for your happiness.' Fumi left the room.

Natsuki stared at the moon. The illuminated the sky, the stars glittered as though accompanying the moon.

'Happiness? Love? How childish. There is no room for that in my heart, is there? This beast I have become is only full of hatred, anger and revenge.'

To be continued.


	10. Reito's Shotgun Marriage

Time will tell-Chapter 10

Time will tell-Chapter 10

A/N: I should be studying, but I can't concentrate

**Chapter 10 : Reito's Shotgun Wedding**

Shizuru was in the shower that morning when she heard her cellphone ringing. Not one who enjoys being disturbed when showering, Shizuru was in a bad mood as she answered the phone. It was Mai on the line.

'Mai?'

"Shizuru! Turn on the TV! Channel 8!'

'What?'

'Just turn on the TV!'

Bewildered, Shizuru simply did as she was told. On the screen was the image of Reito with a beautiful blonde woman. He was very intimate with the woman as he had his arms around the woman and his hands were at her waist. At the lower corner of the screen the words 'Kanzaki Corp CEO Kanzaki Reito marries French model Monique' were written. Shizuru was stunned. Her eyes were wide with shock as she witnessed footage of Reito kissing the woman on the lips before entering a black limousine.

'Shizuru, you still there?'

Hearing Mai's voice Shizuru came out of her trance. She tried to compose herself but found she could not do so.

'Shizuru?'

'Y..yes,' Shizuru answered weakly.

'Are you okay? I saw this on the TV, and I just had to tell you. I doubt even you knew.'

'…Yeah.'

'We are coming over.'

'…No,..you don't have to…' Shizuru was still in shock, she felt numb. She could hardly listen to what Mai was saying.

'No, we are coming. We can't leave you alone. Wait for us.' The line went dead.

Shizuru dropped her cellphone and it landed on the floor with a thud. Shizuru forced herself to walk towards the sofa and sat down. Her mind was a mess, she could not think straight.

In reality, Shizuru was not really in love with Reito but she cared for him and had unconsciously relied on him for support. They had met a few years ago at a meeting and they stayed in contact. When he proposed, Shizuru thoughtlessly agreed thinking he would take good care of her. Watching what had happened on TV, Shizuru felt betrayed. She had given her heart to him and he went and got himself married to another woman. A French model. Shizuru thought back to how happy Reito looked.

_He never smiled like that when he was with me. Am I that bad? I never loved him anyway, did it show? But it hurts to see him beside someone else when he said he would marry me. The bastard. He betrayed me. I've felt this pain before. When was it? It was..when..Natsuki left me. She left without a word. Was I simply nothing to her?_

Shizuru always felt a pang of pain whenever she thought of the blue haired goddess. So much time had passed since she last saw her that she did not know whether what they had was love. She never knew what Natsuki felt to Shizuru. Maybe it was just a one-sided unrequited love. Shizuru knew that Kuga Corp was headed by Natsuki but she did not keep an eye on her. She heard what Mr Kyo had said about Natsuki-that she came to their family for revenge. She did not believe it that time, but now…she did not know what to believe anymore.

Shizuru sighed. How long has it been since she has last seen Natsuki. Shizuru had always avoided anything relating the girl. If someone was talking about Kuga Corp, she would pretend to not hear anything. If it was on TV, she would change the channel. Small things, all done to ignore Natsuki. She knew it was childish, but Shizuru wanted to erase the existence of the girl and any trace of her achievements

_If I can only erase these memories, maybe I would feel better. No longer would I have dreams about that green eyed girl. Maybe I would be able to love again. Is this my curse?_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mai and her mother entered Shizuru's apartment using their extra key and found Shizuru crying silently on the sofa. They embraced her softly and whispered soothing words to her ears. Shizuru heard none of them. She did know why but she could not stop crying. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later, Shizuru had stopped crying and finally calmed down. She tried to stand up but found that she could not. Her legs felt like jelly.

'Where do you think your going?' Asked Kyoko.

'I..I need to get to work.'

'You're not going anywhere. You're in no condition to work.'

'Please Shizuru, take the day off. The phones will be ringing off the hook at your office. Just look outside, swarms of reporters are itching to talk to you, you're better off inside.' Mai held Shizuru's hand tightly.

Shizuru looked at them and saw how worried they were for her. She felt touched for their concern.

'I guess you're right. Maybe I'll take a few days off. I'll tell Yukino.'

'Alright! I bet you're hungry, I am. I'll cook breakfast or should I say lunch.' Mai rushed to the kitchen.

'You're cooking? What a treat.'

'I'll help her, you go tidy up Shizuru.'

'Okay Kyoko.

Shizuru walked to her bedroom as Kyoko went to the kitchen.

'Shizuru looks better already.' Mai whispered to her mother.

'She's just putting on a tough front. She's smashed inside.' Kyoko opened the refrigerator and took out some eggs and other ingredients. 'The nerve of the girl, working today? What a workaholic.'

'Maybe it soothes her? She loves the company so much. She's gone through so much, such a big burden on her shoulders.'

'Kyou did well to have such a good child.' Kyoko reminisced about her husband.

'Mom, are you really here to help me? Please cut the potatoes properly.'

'Okay.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'Are you still going to go to the auction Shizuru?'

'The auction? Of course I will.'

'But they'll stare at you and whisper and all. It'll be horrible.'

'I gave my word that I would be there. I never go back on my word.'

'Bur you don't have a date.'

Shizuru was taken aback. She was supposed to go with Reito but the situation had changed.

'It'll be fine, you're all coming along right? You'll be my support. It'll be hard but I'll manage.'

'But..' Mai was silenced by her mother.

'As you wish, we will be there for you.'

Tears began to swell in Shizuru's eyes. She tried her best to hold it back but she could not do so.

'Thank you. For everything'

Kyoko went up to Shizuru and hugged her.

'We're here for you. Don't hold it back, let it all out.'

Shizuru felt as if a huge burden had been released from her. She let go of all restraint and cried.

To be continued.

A/N: Next chapter, the auction and reunion. Yay!


	11. The Fuuka Hospital Charity Auction

Time will tell ch11

Time will tell ch11

A/N: Life is good. So good that I neglect this story, sorry

**Chapter 11: The Fuuka Hospital Charity Auction**

Shizuru was sitting in the black limousine that she rented with her family on the way to the auction which would be held at a grand hotel. She wore a black satin dress with a low cut that showed her neck nicely. On her neck she wore the 'Bewitching Amethyst' a beautiful tear shaped dark violet jewel that shone brightly and glittered. She was going to be the model for the jewel as it was to be auctioned. The other occupants of the limousine were also dressed up, Kyoko wearing a blue dress, Mai in matching dark clothes with her husband Tate whilst Takumi was in a blue tuxedo.

Anxiety was evident on Shizuru's face, a rare sight as the woman usually had a mask on her face. Nonetheless, the past few days were stressful with the phone ringing off the hook and reporters constantly on the look out for chances for an interview. A relentless one had sneaked into Shizuru's apartment building and came to her apartment for an interview. It was frightening for Shizuru to ignore the man before security threw him out.

Mai took Shizuru's hands into hers and gave a tight squeeze. Shizuru looked up to Mai and gave a weak smile.

'Don't worry Shizuru; it'll all work out fine.'

'Keep up a tough front sis, don't look weak in front of the reporters,' added Takumi.

Shizuru nodded and looked outside the window. They were already near the entrance of the hotel and she could see the reporters waiting.

The Fuuka Hospital Charity Auction was one of the main social events held in Fuuka that was attended by nearly all of the wealthy and successful people in Fuuka. It was an event to flaunt your wealth and status to the society. Regardless, it was an important event that had to be attended to prove your status and social standing. Shizuru had to attend it in order to keep the reputation of Fujino Corp at the top. They had attended it for so long and she did not intend to lose face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Shizuru exited the Limousine, the reporters all crowded her and took pictures. Each one of them was eager to get answers from her.

'Is it true that you had a quarrel with Kanzaki Reito before he left?'

'Did he have an affair?

'Is it true that he said that you are too frigid?'

The questions became more and more wild. Shizuru simply smiled and walked into the hotel. She could feel the stares of the other guests as she entered. The atmosphere became a bit noisier as people pretended to not notice her arrival. The other guests were loitering in front of the hall as the banquet room was not open yet. A woman in a dark dress approached Shizuru. It was Dr Youko Sagisawa, the hospital director.

'It is nice to see you Shizuru. I was worried that you might not come, due to the circumstances…'

'Nothing to worry about Dr Sagisawa. The Fujino's always keep their word.'

'Call me Youko, Shizuru. You still call me Dr Sagisawa even though I keep telling you not to. We have been acquaintances for a while now.'

'I must thank you for taking care of my mother when she comes for check-ups,' said Shizuru as she bowed her head in respect.

'Please, think nothing of it. I was just doing my job; instead I must thank your family for the donations.'

Ever since her father died in the hospital, Shizuru had allocated a part of her company's profits for donations for charity. Fuuka Hospital was one of the places that received the donations besides a few schools and orphanage houses.

They chatted for a while before Youko excused herself to see other guests. Shizuru found she was alone as her family had gone to greet people. She went to the dining table where tea and refreshment were served. She took a cup of tea and attempted to drink when she was bumped into someone. The tea spilt onto her dress and she hurried to the ladies room to remove the stain and refresh herself.

As soon as she left the ladies room, she noticed that the hall was empty. All the other guests had already entered the banquet room. She hurried to the banquet hall but she slowed down as she noticed there were people outside the door.

Dressed in a black tuxedo was Natsuki Kuga. She was with a younger girl with blue hair in a dark blue dress. The younger girl was scolding Natsuki.

'Of all the times I told you to come early, you just had to come late, didn't you Kuga?'

'Oh, chill it Nina. It's not my fault that there was a huge traffic jam on a way. I'm here aren't I?'

'I told you to leave early; I know you left the office early. What did you do at home? Sleep?

'I was preoccupied with a book I was reading.' Natsuki answered meekly.

'I told you to get home to get ready for the dinner, not read a book! What time did you leave?'

'A bit past 7.' Natsuki answered her voice barely a whisper.

'A bit past 7?! Don't lie to me Natsuki Kuga, you left at 7.30 pm, I called your place. The dinner starts at 8.15. It's a miracle you arrived on time, what a liar you are, traffic jam indeed.. .' The girl called Nina was fuming.

For Shizuru seeing her secret crush again brought mixed feelings. She was angry at the raven haired girl for leaving so suddenly and abandoning her but she couldn't help but feel her heart beat faster seeing her again. Seeing Natsuki looking so meek and small in front of the fuming lady was quite a sight and Shizuru couldn't help but feel amused.

By now, Natsuki had the feeling that she was being watched, so she looked up. She was surprised to see a young woman watching them. It made her more surprised when she realized it was Shizuru.

'Shizuru…' Natsuki could hardly believe that she would meet an old friend today.

'Kuga.' Shizuru answered after regaining composure. Her face was composed, her voice steady not portraying the torrent of emotions that were raging inside her.

Natsuki noticed that Shizuru did not call her by her name and smirked.

'_So, she's like the rest. She's treating me like I'm the enemy. Fine, like I care. This means nothing to me. Nothing._

'Are you late too? Let's enter together then, make a splash.'

Natsuki took Shizuru by the arm and led her into the banquet room. Shizuru was speechless and could do nothing but walk along with Natsuki.

As they entered, all eyes were upon them. The banquet room was full of noise as the guests were surprised to see two of them together; Natsuki's arm was linked with Shizuru's. The MC who was giving his speech was surprised as well and stopped speaking, so it made their entrance was more obvious.

Shizuru felt very embarrassed as everyone was staring at them. However, she calmed down as she heard Natsuki whispering to her.

'Just smile and keep walking Shizuru. I'm with you, you'll be fine.'

Shizuru felt a warmth spread from her chest; she felt safe beside Natsuki. She was puzzled why she felt so.

'_Don't I hate her? But why do I feel like this?_

Natsuki left Shizuru as soon she reached Shizuru's table and headed to the front of the hall where the sponsor sat. She smiled at the other occupants of the table and sat down.

As soon as Shizuru sat down, she was bombarded with questions from her family.

'Where did you go? We looked all over for you,' asked Mai.

'Did she say anything to you? That woman should be arrested, acting all goody-goody after all she did to Nao.' Tate glared at Natsuki, anger evident on his face.

'Are you okay?' Asked Kyoko with concern on her face.

Shizuru smiled and explained what had happened. Silence was evident in the room as the MC had continued his speech and introduced all the sponsors of the items auctioned. Dinner was served and the auction began. One by one, the items were introduced and auctioned off. The atmosphere in the room was lively as the guest fought against each other to buy items and show off their wealth.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Natsuki watched the auction without any enthusiasm. She was bored and she fiddled with her food.

_It's times like this that the arrogance of the wealthy is clearly visible. Each person trying to outbid each other and prove that their wealth and power. Even that stupid statue was sold, such hypocrisy._

She was surprised as she saw Shizuru walk up onto the stage. She examined the woman, noticing how much the young girl she once knew had matured and blossomed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shizuru walked onto the stage, her head held up high and as elegantly as she could.

'Now, we will begin the auction of one of the most valuable pieces of tonight's auction. I present to you 'The Bewitching Amethyst', modelled by Fujino Corporation leading lady, Fujino Shizuru.' The voice of the MC bellowed.

'This piece which is valued to be worth 50, 000 came to our possession after it was so generously donated to us by one of our trusted donators who wishes to be kept anonymous. It is rich in history but it will only be revealed to the person who wins the auction. Now, shall we begin the auction? Do I hear 50, 500?'

The room was silent as no one raised their hand. The MC tried to attract the crowd by telling more about the jewel.

Shizuru was nervous as no one had raised their hand. She knew exactly why but kept a composed face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

'The poor girl. This is all because of her fiancée had left her.'

Natsuki was interested in the conversation between the two elderly women on her table but did not pursue the matter. She sat silently as she listened.

'Yes. Usually the spouse or partner of the model will buy the jewellery for her. However, since Fujino-san's fiancée had abandoned her, no one is willing to spend that much money on a piece of jewellery.'

Hearing this Natsuki felt a pang of sympathy for Shizuru. She stared at the young woman.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A man lifted his hand.

'Okay, we have 50, 500 by that handsome gentleman over there. Do I hear 60, 000?

No? Okay, 60,000 going once, 60,000 going twice…'

'100,000.' A loud female voice was heard. Everyone gasped and turned to see the person whose voice it belonged to. Shizuru was no exception, she too looked up to see who had said that.

'Did I hear correctly? Did you say 100,000?' The MC stuttered.

Natsuki Kuga stood up and with her hands in the pockets repeated what she had just said.

'You heard correctly. I said 100, 000 for the jewellery. Is there a problem?'

'N..no problem, the "Bewitching Amethyst' is sold to Natsuki Kuga for 100, 000.'

There was a loud clap and Natsuki sat down smiling. Shizuru stared at Natsuki, her face emotionless before she was ushered down the stage by the MC. The auction continued without any problems and ended. All the guests started to leave.

Natsuki walked up to Shizuru. Shizuru stood up and faced Natsuki. She did not say a word.

'That jewel really suits you,' said Natsuki breaking the silence.

'Why did you do such a thing?' Shizuru asked her face emotionless.

'I just felt like it.'

'I need to give this to you then.' Shizuru attempted to remove the neckless but she was stopped by Natsuki.

'Keep it. I'm not suited for such a thing.'

'Are you giving this to me? I cannot accept such an expensive gift.'

'Then throw it away. It has no use to me.' Natsuki started to turn to walk away but she felt a soft tug on the sleeve. She looked at her sleeve and saw Shizuru's hand on it. She looked up at Shizuru and saw there were tears in her eyes.

'Thank you, Natsuki. How can I ever thank you?'

Natsuki did not say anything for a while but simply looked into Shizuru's face.

'Then may I take you home?' Asked Natsuki half-jokingly before attempting to leave again. She had only walked a few steps when she heard Shizuru's answer.

'You may.'

Natsuki was shocked to hear Shizuru answer so seriously. She turned around and saw Shizuru was looking at her with a serious look in her eyes.

To be continued.


	12. Call me Natsuki

**Time will tell. Chapter 12:**** Call me Natsuki.**

A/N: I had a writer's block. Sorry this is a short one

' _Then may I take you home?' Asked Natsuki half-jokingly before attempting to leave again. She had only walked a few steps when she heard Shizuru's answer._

' _You may.'_

_Natsuki was shocked to hear Shizuru answer so seriously. She turned around and saw Shizuru was looking at her with a serious look in her eyes._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Is she joking?_

Natsuki was caught speechless when she heard Shizuru's answer.

'Are we going to your home or mine?' Shizuru said seriously with a blush on her face.

' _Crap, I approached her like a usually do to other girls. A bad move. Shizuru isn't like other girls. She's a real lady. A beautiful one, with beautiful curves and eyes and…,wait I can't do this! She's straight. She has a fiancée, well, had one anyway…'_

' What are you doing Shizuru!? Do you realize what you're saying or doing? She's the enemy! Remember what she did to Nao. This bitch…,' Tate shouted his voice barely a whisper, anger evident on his face.

Shizuru's family had surrounded her, watching the scene unfold. Natsuki ignored Tate and what he said but she was displeased. She did not like what she heard. She looked at Shizuru with an apologetic face.

' Ah, I was just joking Shizuru. Just forget it, will ya. Hahaha…,'

Natsuki pretended to laugh. Nina who was nearby watched the pitiful attempt of Natsuki to take back what she had said. Nina knew Natsuki was not one to joke or take such slander lightly.

' _She's holding back. Usually she would show her anger with that famous death glare of hers when faced with such words. I see…, Shizuru must be someone she holds dearly.'_

Shizuru was not convinced. She knew Natsuki, well, the old one. The Natsuki she knew was always serious. She did not know how much the girl had changed and wondered if this was still the same person she once knew.

' Really? I owe you one for what you did back there. I want to repay you.'

'..and I tell you again, it's no big deal.'

Shizuru walked closer to Natsuki and held Natsuki's sleeve timidly.

' But it is, to me…' Shizuru whispered softly in a voice audible only to Natsuki.

There was something in Shizuru's voice that touched the depth of Natsuki's heart. A softness and pleading the seemed to stir emotions that Natsuki thought had buried deeply.

' _Shizuru.'_

' Let's have coffee or something then, I'm sure you're guardians would at least allow that. I'm still going to take you along no matter what they say anyway.'

Natsuki took Shizuru's hand gently and lead the way to the elevator. Shizuru waved at her family and mouthed apologies and promises to contact them later. Mai and Kyoko waved back at Shizuru whilst Takumi and Tate watched with anxious looks. Nina simply smirked watching Natsuki dash away.

' _Are you going bed her? I bet you won't.'_ Nina grinned. 'She is too special to you. I can see that.

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Natsuki led Shizuru to her black Mercedes and they spent time finding a café or diner but due to the fact that it was nearly midnight, the shops were closed.

' There's no other way, I guess I really will take you my home.' Natsuki said as she scratched her head gently and drove towards the hotel that she owned and where she lived.

' You make that sound like it's a bad thing. ' Shizuru giggled.

' Isn't it?'

'It's not?'

' It is?'

' Why are you answering my question with another question? Ah, Kuga is such a mystery.' Shizuru teased.

Natsuki glanced at Shizuru and smiled bitterly.

'Why are you calling me Kuga? You sure have changed…'

Shizuru lowered her head and gripped her hand lightly against the cloth of her dress.

'It's been 5 years…I wonder if you are the same person I met long ago. I for one, am no longer that young girl you once knew.'

Natsuki shrugged.

'Yeah, we both have changed. Time does that to you.'

There was silence in the car for a while before Natsuki spoke again.

'But, I would really like it if you called me Natsuki again, if you don't mind that is…'

Shizuru glanced up at Natsuki and saw that the raven haired girl had a soft look in her eyes.

'That would be nice, Natsuki…'

Natsuki smiled a sad smile and nodded at Shizuru.

To be continued.

A/N: I have a writer's block. I know how this will end but getting there will be hard. Also, should Natsuki and Shizuru get intimate? XD review and give me your opinion on how it 'might' turn out^^


	13. Night full of touches

Time will tell.

Chapter 13: A night full of touches.

A/N: After a long rest, and getting seriously stressed after a paper I had to repeat, I present to you the latest chapter of Time will tell. I getting this chapter on, A chapter that stuck in my head for so long. Hope you will enjoy it as much as much as I had fun writing it.

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As they entered the hotel, the bellboy smiled and bowed at Natsuki. Natsuki nodded her head in acknowledgement. She stopped in front of the man and chatted with him for a while.

'Hello Keiichi. You're working overtime again? Even though you have such a pretty lady waiting for you at home? Problems with the lady?'

'I'm saving up for a gift for Belldandy. It's for our anniversary, 2 years dating. I owe so much to her.' The young man blushed as he said this.

'How nice.' Natsuki smiled. 'If you have problems getting reservations at any restaurants, I can give you a pass to enter the top floor restaurant.'

'You mean the rooftop restaurant that only the VVIP can enter and need to be booked months in advance? You have to be kidding Kuga-sama.' Keiichi was flustered and honored that his boss would allow him to dine at one of the most exclusive restaurants in town.

'Why not? You've been working hard, we are all family at Kuga Corporation and Ive always liked seeing Belldandy's smiling face. Such a wonderful sight.' Natsuki took out a notepad and wrote something on it before passing it to Keiichi. 'This should do the trick, if it doesn't tell them to deal with me. Dinner is on me. Say hello to Belldandy for me.'

Natsuki gestured Shizuru to follow her as she left the young man smiling ear to ear. The young man realized Natsuki was going to use the elevator, so he rushed and opened the elevator for them.

Secretly, Shizuru was amused with the whole scene. _A kind and caring Natsuki? This really is a different person. I didn't know she could be this nice. Could it be that she's showing off? Ara, ara Natsuki… _

Natsuki watched Shizuru as they rode the elevator_._ She noticed the younger woman was smiling.

'Why are you smiling?'

'No reason. I thought that was nice of you, giving the man entry to your exclusive restaurant. I hear it really is a great place, the food is superb, or so I hear.'

'There's nothing surprising about that Shizuru. I care about people too. The lad has always been hardworking. Also, his girlfriend is really, really beautiful. If I had to say, as beautiful as a goddess.' Natsuki mused.

'Are you trying to make me jealous, Natsuki? You should never praise another woman if front of one.' Shizuru pouted.

Natsuki folded her arms and smiled.

'Then again, the person in front of me isn't too bad either. A princess if I had to describe her.' Natsuki looked at Shizuru and let her eyes wander.

Shizuru blushed at what Natsuki said and suddenly felt a chill down her spine at the way Natsuki was looking at her. She felt as if Natsuki was looking past her clothes and was staring at her nude body. She shifted uncomfortably trying to cover her body.

'Wh..what are you saying? And where are you looking, Natsuki..baka..'

Natsuki merely chuckled and shifted her gaze.

'That Reito doesn't know what he's missing out. The fool…' Natsuki whispered with some anger evident in her voice. Shizuru heard Natsuki's whisper and the blush on her face deepened. She dared to steal a glance at Natsuki and saw Natsuki was looking at her with a gentle look on her face.

'It really is nice to see you again, Shizuru.'

Shizuru was going to reply but was interrupted by the sound of a bell signaling they had reached their destination. The secret floor that was only accessible to Natsuki and some selected personal. The whole floor was Natsuki's home. Natsuki gestured Shizuru to enter before her. Shizuru walked into Natsuki den and was awestruck with the scene in front of her.

To say it was beautiful was an understatement; the place was breathtaking with the design that Natsuki had set for it. It was as if a huge mansion was built inside a few floors of the hotel. There were swimming pools at one side, with resting places and there were tables and chairs set out at the lawn. There were rows and rows of all kind of flowers settled in front of a large gold door that stood as the entrance of the huge mansion which was a few floors high tinted in glass that could be controlled its transparency to allow visibility or privacy depending on the mood of the person of the room. The rooms were separated into its own parts with white steel beams that gave the place a modern and sophisticated feel.

Shizuru realized she was alone as she walked around the house. The interior design of the living room was cozy and cheerful with bright colors and comfy sofas. This _must be the place where Natsuki greets her guests_, Shizuru thought. Shizuru looked around and wondered how it would be like to explore in this house. _I've only seen the entrance and the living room, and it already took my breath away. There must be so many other rooms with magnificent things inside. This place is huge._ Shizuru felt like a small girl, brimming with curiosity and excitement wanting to explore Natsuki's home. Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Shizuru crept through the living room and entered the nearest door that was open. It was the kitchen and inside was Natsuki searching through the cupboards. Again, Shizuru's breath was taken away by the sight in front of her.

At that particular moment, Natsuki was rummaging the top shelf of her cupboard looking for the teabags. Her slim and taut body figure was visible as she was standing on her toes to look further into the high shelf. The sight was very sexy and alluring for Shizuru, she was trying very hard not to make any noise, suppressing the urge to nose bleed and disturb the beautiful sight in front of her.

'I'm sorry, Shizuru. It seems that it's been a while since I've anyone up here and I'm out of teabags and I can't seem to find any coffee.' Natsuki shouted out as she continued to rummage through her cupboard not noticing Shizuru was nearby.

'Ah, it's fine Natsuki..' Shizuru answered absent-mindedly, still enjoying the view in front of her.

Puzzled hearing Shizuru's voice so close, Natsuki stopped her search for the evasive coffee jar and peered out of the cupboard.

'Oh there you are Shizuru. Ano…you look a little red, are you fine?' Natsuki crept close to Shizuru who quickly backed away trying to calm her emotions._ Damn it, there must be something wrong with me. Ever since I've seen Natsuki again, I've wanted to jump her and rip those sexy clothes off her…coming here was a mistake_

'I'm fine Natsuki, just a bit awestruck by your place.'

'It's nice right? I allocated a lot of the hotel's budget to build my palace here, I'm rather proud of it myself. I'm glad you like it.' Natsuki smiled happily.

The sight of Natsuki smiling so happily made it hard for Shizuru's emotions to calm down. _Ahh, she's too cute. Does she know that she's too darned cute. I…must calm down. Must…not…do… anything… I… will regret…_

'I give up, I can't find any coffee or tea. I'll call room service to send some up.'

'You don't have to bother Natsuki. I'll just have anything that's in your fridge.'

'Oh, okay. Let's have a look then.' Natsuki opened her 3 door huge fridge and peered inside. Shizuru peeked inside as well and was happy to see it was full of food. The last time she saw Natsuki's fridge, it only had some water, mayonnaise and some bread. This time it had plenty of mayonnaise, fruits, and snacks. However it was lacking in the drinks side, there were only a few cans of fruit juice and a large bottle of wine. WAIT, wine?

'Ah, here I have a bottle of wine. I wonder how long it's been there. I'm not much of a drinker, so I don't really drink wine. But I hear the longer it isn't opened, it gets better or something like that, so, on the special occasion of you coming here today, let's have some.' Natsuki smiled happily. 'If I recall correctly, someone important gave me this…'

Shizuru's face looked calm but on the inside, her emotions were spiraling out of control._ Oh no, I shouldn't drink wine, not when I can barely suppress myself from forcing myself on Natsuki. Who knows what might happen…_

'On second thought, maybe we shouldn't have wine. You don't seem to be into it…' said Natsuki softly watching Shizuru who had been quiet. She turned to put the bottle back into the fridgebut stopped when she felt a hand on her arm.

'I'm fine, let's open that bottle shall we. Meeting Natsuki again after so long is something we should celebrate, even though I'd prefer it under better circumstances.'

Natsuki smiled softly and proceeded to open the bottle before pouring it into two wine glasses she took out. She offered one to Shizuru who took it and they both went to the living room.

Natsuki sat down on one of the sofas while Shizuru sat on another a bit further away. Sipping on the wine, Natsuki decided to break the ice.

'So, how have you been? I know things have been rough for you…'

'Yes, things have been tough. I can hardly go anywhere without a large group chasing after me asking for an interview or ask ridiculous questions.'

'Things have been stressful for you. I'm sorry how things turned out for you.'

'I'm fine. It didn't affect me too much. I was just surprised.'

'Surprised? You should be furious; someone you loved did that to you. I know I would.' Natsuki chugged down her wine and poured herself another.

Shizuru smiled and felt touched at how Natsuki cared for her. She sipped her wine as she tried to think of something to answer Natsuki.

'I guess, he wasn't the one for me. The one I liked…_was away at that time. The one I ever liked went away._

Shizuru poured another glass of wine for herself and held it in her finger. She had so many things to ask Natsuki, so many things to say. However, seeing Natsuki in front of her, she was speechless. Natsuki looked so alluring and beautiful. The years had matured the young girl from five years ago and turned her into such a beautiful creature. Natsuki was eyeing Shizuru too as she sipped her drink.

It was uncertain who made the first move, but lips met lips in a passionate, hungry kiss. Each one kissed the other deeply as if there was a fire burning that could not extinguished and the need for the one in front of her was spilling out in a raging torrent of emotions. Fingers traced the body of each other, not wanting to let go, fearing that the other would pull back.

Gathering the courage, Natsuki pulled back after a tender kiss to look at the person who she longed for these past years. She felt the sadness building up inside of her, fearing she had done something that would make the crimson eyed princess in front of her reject her.

She was surprised to see a blushing Shizuru resting her head on her Natsuki's shoulder gazing up to her. Shizuru was breathing heavily, out of breath from kissing Natsuki.

'Shizuru?'

'Natsuki…' Shizuru purred Natsuki's name softly.

'Are you okay?'

'I've never felt better…'

'Shizuru?'

'Natsuki, can I confess something to you? I've always loved you, ever since I met you…'

'Shizuru…' Natsuki whispered softly as Shizuru kissed Natsuki tenderly on her lips.

'I've been wanting to do so much more to you. I've wanted to rip those clothes off you…'

'Shizuru, you already have…'

Shizuru looked down and saw that Natsuki's shirt had unbuttoned revealing the sexy black lingerie.

'Did…I…do that?'

'You did.'

Shizuru blushed realizing what she did. Natsuki chuckled, kissing Shizuru's forehead.

'If it makes you feel any better, I..also..did something to your dress..'

Shizuru looked down to her dress and realized that her dress had nearly slipped off, revealing her own purple bra.

Natsuki stood up and held up her hand to Shizuru who stared at it confused.

'Would you like to visit my bedroom?' Natsuki asked blushing.

Shizuru blushed, immediately understanding Natsuki's intention. Shizuru took Natsuki's hand as Natsuki led her to her bedroom.

To be Continued

A/N: Bet you wish I wrote more lemon didn't you, too bad, I suck at it, sorry. But the next chapter is going to be fluffy as well. Look forward for it. R&R please.


	14. Some Loving and a proposal?

Time will tell.

Chapter 14: Some loving and a proposal?

A/N: Since I've been away for so long due to lack of motivation, here I present to you some M-rated action (wonder what that means, *grins*). Thank you to the people who took the time to right read and review my story, I love the reviews as well as my fans (I do have some, don't I?). I'll update my other stories as soon as I get my motivation, so many distractions, lol.)

Disclaimer 1: I don't own Mai Hime.

Disclaimer 2: This chapter is a bit adult, M rated. So if you cant stand it, don't read.

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As soon as Shizuru entered Natsuki's bedroom she was awestruck with how cozy and comfy it looked. A large lush carpet was strewn on the floor in front of a large king sized dark blue-patterned bed. On the bed were many pillows with blue patterns with gold embroidery. The room was connected to a large bathroom and on the other side was a dark sliding door which behind it stood Natsuki's work room. The room was designed solely for the purpose of sleeping, changing clothes or something more *cough*adult-like, (if you know what I mean *wink*).

Shizuru turned around and playfully asked Natsuki a question she had been wondering ever since she entered the room.

'So, how many people have you slept with in this room?'

Natsuki simply smiled and went to hang her coat in her cupboard.

'If I answer that question, will I still get lucky tonight?'

Shizuru blushed and pouted before sitting down on the bed. Natsuki sat by Shizuru and leaned on to her.

'Ikezu, answering a question with another.'

'The others before you do not matter Shizuru. Now that you are in front of me, you are the one in my eyes now.'

'You have such a reputation Natsuki. They say you are a wild girl, am I simply another toy or a fling to you?'

Shizuru stared into natsuki's green eyes seriously, trying to find the answer. Natsuki simply closed her eyes and edged forward to capture Shizuru's lips in a passionate kiss. The kiss lasted as long as her breath could hold before she pulled back to look Shizuru in the eye. Shizuru was dazed by the kiss and was blushing.

'I have always wanted to kiss your lips Shizuru. Even before that night 5 years ago. If that person didn't interrupt us, I would have proclaimed my undying love for you. I have always loved you too Shizuru, you are my first love.'

Natsuki turned away and clutched her body tightly. Her face was contorted into a pained look.

'Then again, maybe things would have turned out differently. The way things are today, I still can't decide whether I should thank that person or curse her.'

Shizuru hugged Natsuki's body softly as she remembered the night 5 years ago.

'I have always wondered what happened that night, can you tell me?'

Seeing no response from Natsuki, Shizuru sighed and continued to hug her.

'Something happened between us that night, her and me, we had an argument and somehow the car …it caught on fire…' Natsuki whispered softly. 'I still can't tell you, I'm sorry…'

'It's alright Natsuki, when you're ready, you can tell me.' Shizuru cooed softly into Natsuki's ears. 'Though her family really hates you…'

Natsuki was silent but her face was expressionless, eyes void of emotions. It brought a chill to Shizuru seeing the person she loved in such a state.

'When you disappeared without a trace from the hospital, I was so sad. You being in such a terrible condition, leaving like that, why did you go? I was in distress and turmoil for such a long time.' Shizuru held her hand in Natsuki's.

'I had to go, I woke up and I could hear all the things her family was sprouting.'

'But you were in such a terrible condition, how did you go? Where did you go?'

'I went out of the emergency exit; a kind soul helped me travel to my aunt's home where I recuperated.'

'It must have been painful. I thought, I would have lost you…' The last sentence was muttered in a whisper but Natsuki heard her clearly.

Natsuki turned and kissed Shizuru deeply on the lips before pushing her down and straddling her.

'But I'm here Shizuru. Let's make the best of the time we have now.'

Natsuki kissed Shizuru passionately, her tongue tracing Shizuru lips asking for entrance into her mouth which Shizuru willingly obliged. Their tongues sought each other out, sucking and moving softly. Out of breath, Natsuki leaned her forehead on Shizuru's.

'I've finally have you now, I'll never let go.'

'Ara, Natsuki is so possessive. I wonder if I like this side of her.'

Shizuru gasped and moaned as Natsuki trailed kisses and licks along her neck and collarbone. Natsuki deftly removed dress and groped Shizuru's bra before lifting it up to directly fondle her breasts and nipples.

Every touch from Natsuki were electricity to Shizuru, she could barely move and simply clutched the covers of the bed as Natsuki ravaged her breasts, she was kissing and sucking on each breast whilst the other was pleasured by her free hand.

Struggling to reclaim a coherent thought, Shizuru realized it was unfair that she was the only one being 'serviced'. She lifted her arms and tried to gain control. She succeeded and she was now the one on top. She smirked as she saw the surprised look on Natsuki's face.

'It's not fair for you being the one on top all the time _Natsuki_', Shizuru slurred seductively earning a blush from the girl below. She attempted to remove the shirt off Natsuki but her hands were held firm by the blushing girl.

'Please Shizuru, my body…it's ugly, full of…I don't want you to see…' Natsuki whimpered, eyes pleading at Shizuru. Shizuru's eyes softened as she lowered herself to steal a kiss from Natsuki who seemed to melt into the kiss.

'There is nothing ugly on Natsuki; Natsuki is such a beautiful goddess, your beauty is unmarred by your scars or your pain.'

Shizuru gently opened Natsuki's shirt and Natsuki's burn scars were visible. Natsuki's skin was not smooth; a large area of it was covered with burn scars. Whilst most of them had healed, yet it still left a horrible feeling to anyone who saw it.

Shizuru softly trailed a finger across Natsuki's body and Natsuki shivered with each touch. Shizuru lowered herself to Natsuki's body and kissed all over her lover's body.

'I love every part of Natsuki, her stubbornness, her gentleness, her eyes, her hair, and her body. I love everything about you. Your pain, your suffering, I will take it all.'

Touched by her lover's words, Natsuki hugged Shizuru tightly. Shizuru returned the hug with the same vigour and relished the feeling of having her beloved in her arms.

Shizuru kissed her lover deeply and pushed her down without breaking the kiss. Her hands wandered all over the midnight haired girl and she enjoyed making the girl moan as she touched her sensitive points. Lowering her hands, Shizuru reached the folds of her lover's womanhood and took pleasure as Natsuki shivered as she rubbed it gently. She pulled her fingers back and licked the juices dripping from her fingers.

'I'm so happy that Natsuki is feeling this way towards me', she teased.

'And she says I'm the mean one', Natsuki muttered as she blushed.

Not wanting to be the one on the teasing end (or the only one feeling good), Natsuki reached down to Shizuru's womanhood and touched it softly winning a moan from the woman.

They continued to touch each other, moaning and calling it each others name before pleasure surged through their body and climaxed. Shizuru nuzzled her face into the neck of her lover and rested there. Sleep took claim of them both and they slept in each other arms.

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The rays of light that came through the window awoke the brunette from her slumber and as she opened her eyes, she could see bright green ones gazing into her own fondly. She smiled softly and nuzzled herself into her lover's body. The green eyed woman cuddled the brunette and sighed happily. A moment of time passed before either decided to make a move.

'Ne, Shizuru.'

'Hm?'

'I need to ask you something.'

'Yes?'

'I need to get married, will you marry me?'

The question made the brunette look up into the eyes of her lover. She wanted to ask to ask the woman if she was joking. The look on the green eyed woman told her otherwise.

To Be Continued.

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A/N: Wow, that was a rather steamy chapter. I hope you had fun reading it as much fun as I did writing it. If it sucks, oh well, I'm not good at this type of scenes then, lol.

R&R please 3


	15. You didn't plan this did you?

Time will tell.

Chapter 15: You didn't plan this, did you?

A/N: Thank you to all the reviewers and everyone who still reads this story, love ya 3. Here is a short update.

Disclaimer 1: I don't own Mai Hime.

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'I need to get married, will you marry me?'

The question made the brunette look up into the eyes of her lover. She wanted to ask to ask the woman if she was joking. The look on the green eyed woman told her otherwise.

The realization made the brunette blush and speechless. She loved the bluenette but marriage? Were they going too fast?

The bluenette noticed the awkwardness and shook her head with a sad smile.

'Then again, this may be sudden. Please forget what I just said.'

A pang of guilt hit Shizuru seeing the hurt on her lover's face.

'Natsuki…'

'I'm going to take a shower. Join me?'

Another blush was visible on Shizuru's face.

'Ah, no…'

'Okay.'

The bluenette stepped out of the bed stark naked and walked to the bathroom. Seeing Natsuki's naked body, Shizuru blushed redder and put her hands to her face to make it stop.

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Natsuki turned the knob to the hot water shower and let the water rain on her body. She stood still and tried to cool her head.

_I guess, she doesn't want to marry me? __Well, sure, I can't force her to marry me. I guess I'm a bit old fashioned, wanting to take responsibility, what am I thinking? It's stupid right? If Shizuru marries me, sure, it will solve the problem of me looking for another suitor but marrying the one you love, it's what people usually do right? Instead of marrying just for the sake of a saving my company…_

Being too deep in thought, Natsuki didn't notice Shizuru had snuck into the bathroom until the brunette slipped her arms around her. Hiding her surprise, she relaxed into her lover's arms.

'Shizuru?'

The other girl rested her face on Natsuki's back and rubbed it against Natsuki's skin softly. Her hands wandered all over Natsuki's body making the bluenette shiver with each touch.

'I was serious, when I said I will take all your suffering. Now will you tell me why you're asking me to marry you? You can't be one of those old-fashioned people who intend on marriage after one night, can you?'

Seeing Shizuru had hit the nail on the head, Natsuki stiffened and blushed a bright red.

'Ara, you are…'

'So, what if I am?' Natsuki tried to hide her blush by turning the water to a lower temperature and it made Shizuru squeal and hug her lover tightly.

'Kyaaa, Natsuki is so cute. It makes me fall deeper in love with her.'

'Ba..baka Shizuru. I am many things, but cute? Not me!'

Shizuru clung to Natsuki more tightly and kissed Natsuki's back.

'You're cute and I love you Natsuki, that's the whole truth.'

Natsuki sighed and turned to face Shizuru before giving her a quick kiss on the lips

'If you say so, though I thoroughly deny it. Now shall I make love to you again or shall I lather some soap on you?'

'How about a bit of both?' Shizuru answered with a mischievous glint in her eye.'

'That's what I thought too,' said Natsuki with a smirk.

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After showering and borrowing some of Natsuki's clothes to wear, the both of them went to have a buffet breakfast at one of the restaurants in the hotel.

'I'll tell you.'

Shizuru was sipping her tea when she was startled with Natsuki's statement.

'I'll tell you why I need to get married soon.'

Shizuru nodded as she waited for Natsuki to tell her story.

'As you may or may not know, I founded Kuga Corp. From a small company we've grown as big as we are today. But in truth, the capital was funded by my aunt Saeko. I went to see my father's old business partner and we became business partners. Now the three of us are the main share holders of the company. I own 40 %, Aunt Saeko owns 30% whilst Mr. Ensui owns the remaining 30%.'

She paused to take a sip of her milk coffee and continued her story.

'Now the other day, she told me to get married or I would lose her support. She was rambling about being loved and loving someone. I'd say, it's an old woman's nostalgia. Even though she is forcing me to get married, I want to go by her wishes. The old woman did save my life and cared for me when I was hurt. I owe my life to her.'

Shizuru nodded as she watched her lover pretend to be all bothered by the arrangement. In truth, she could see how much Natsuki adored her aunt.

'You love her don't you?'

'She's all I've got left.'

Natsuki looked at Shizuru lovingly before continuing to speak.

'I know this really sudden. I would totally understand if you refuse to marry me. This marriage will be more like doing an old woman's last request. Sure, I'd hate to lose the company, but I'd hate to lose the old woman's smile. Even if she is a stubborn old woman who speaks harshly.'

'That reminds me of someone I once knew. A stubborn young girl who was really harsh to me, who was it again?'

Shizuru pretended to think as Natsuki's face turned to a light blush.

'Anyway, with you losing your fiancée and all, this is just another problem for you. Please forget I ever asked you to marry me. This is my problem…'

Natsuki was silence by Shizuru's finger. Shizuru took Natsuki's hands into her own and held it tightly.

'Baka Natsuki. I love you and I really don't want to see you marrying anyone else. How do think I would feel seeing you with someone else? How would you feel if I…'

Realizing the implication of what she just said, Shizuru thought hard. _It was the same for her right? Seeing me get engaged with Reito? It must have been hard for her…_

As if reading Shizuru's mind, Natsuki answered.

'Yes, it was hard seeing you with him. Truthfully, I was relieved he ran off. For saying that, I apologize, but that's what I thought at the time.'

'Apology accepted. I tried to forget you, that's why I agreed to his proposal. I thought I would never get to see you again. Never in my wildest imagination did I think that I would be loved by you.'

Natsuki held Shizuru's hand tightly and gazed lovingly into her lover's eyes. Shizuru blushed by look given and coughed slightly.

'Anyway, please let me think about it a bit? About your proposal?'

Natsuki nodded and stood up getting ready to leave.

'Thank you Shizuru, for even considering. Now let's get you home.

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They exchanged contact numbers and Natsuki sent Shizuru to her family home. Shizuru wanted to see her family and explain what had happened to her after leaving them last night. ('Seriously Shizuru? Your gonna tell them what happened last night?' Natsuki argued), She was greeted by her Mai who gestured her to join them for breakfast.

'So what happened?

'Nothing happened,' answered Shizuru nonchalantly making herself a pot of tea.

'Oh My God! You had sex.

Shizuru nearly dropped the pot in surprise. She frowned and turned to face Mai with a red face.

'Wh..why do you think I had …'

'Your face is glowing.'

Shizuru quickly touched her face.

'No way…'

'You look happy.' Kyoko added.

'Mother, not you too…'

'So did you?'

'I refuse to reveal my personal life even if I did..'

'So you did. Good. You're on the front page of the newspaper.'

'What?'

Shizuru quickly grabbed the newspaper and sure enough on the front page was a big picture of Shizuru and Natsuki with big bold letters 'NATSUKI KUGA IS DATING SHIZURU FUJINO? THEY WERE SEEN LEAVING THE BUILDING TOGETHER'. The article gave a brief summary of the events at the auction and a brief background on both of the girls.

'Oh no.'

'Don't worry; we are behind you all the way. We support you no matter what you do as long as you are happy. Tate and his family, now that's a different story.' Takumi spoke up.

Shizuru was touched by her family's declaration. She was going to thank them when her cellphone rang. She picked it up and noticed it was Natsuki's number.

'Hello?' A nervous voice answered.

'I'm so sorry Shizuru. Have you read the newspaper?'

'I have…'

'I'm so sorry. I didn't predict such a thing would escalate from my actions. How can I make it up to you? Want me to do damage control?

'No, it's fine Natsuki. I owe you for saving me from humiliation yesterday.'

'You do realize this will affect Fujino Corp. Specifically your company shares. As well as the sales on your new magazine as well as other projects..'

'Oh, I'm still in shock, I haven't thought that far…'

'I only have 2 solutions in mind. You lay low or give a press conference to say 'we are not dating' or something of the like to save face and the investor's confidence. Damage control is essential. Or…'

There was a long pause.

'Or marry me and merge our two companies. Your company will be more stable at least. Either way, your company shares will drop. Already has, by 4%.'

'So what do you think?'

'I guess, I have to get married with you after all Natsuki. You sure you didn't plan this?'

'Shizuru! Of course not!' Shizuru could already imagine her lover frowning and smiled.

'I'm really sorry Shizuru, how things have turned out. Associating with me has always been bad for you and your family.'

'Baka Natsuki. You shouldn't say such things; you have always made me happy. For example, last night..'

'I'm that good in bed huh?'

'Natsuki!' Natsuki laughed a gentle laugh.

'I mean it Natsuki. I'm the happiest when I'm with Natsuki.'

'Shizuru…'

There was an arkward silence.

'So, that concludes it. I will marry you Natsuki. Now I need to tell to tell my family now.'

'Then I'll start the damage control. You just relax and watch the outcome. See you later Mrs Kuga, hmm, I like the sound of that.'

'So do I Natsuki. See ya.'

Shizuru hung up and turned to face her family who were pretending that they had not been eavesdropping on the conversation.

'So, I agreed to get married with Natsuki.'

'Ara, ara Shizuru is so vulgar. One night and you've agreed to marry her? She MUST be good in bed.'

'Mother!'

Mai glomped Shizuru and gave her a hug.

'Yay, Shizuru. You've always liked her and now you marrying her. Congratulations!'

'You do realize this is a big decision that will affect all of us?' Takumi asked after congratulating his sister.

'I do and I'll stand firm on my decision. I love Natsuki and I won't let her go anymore.'

'As we said before we are behind you Shizuru.'

'Thank you.'

oooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo

TO be Continued.

A/N: I found this chapter to be rather sweet. I hope you liked it. R&R please.


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